The Great Escape
by ZionX
Summary: After Kyoko and Maria's grateful party, Ren gave Kyoko a ride home. But She didn't made it home and Ren wasn't in his condo either. What happened to them! Everyone's worried!.. It's a little bit of adventure, mystery and tiny bit of tragedy much later...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat! And its characters…

_Heeyyy… This is my new series… I plan this to be just short, but when did I ever write short series? LOL I usually imagined it in my mind shorter and faster but when I actually write the story I end up making it so slow and long… ^_^ So here it is… Hope you'll enjoy this story too…_

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 1:

_We just now got the feeling that were meeting… For the first time…_

Kyoko woke up and moaned wanting to sleep some more. When she shifted, her head exploded. "Aaahhh!" She groan in pain. She was wondering why she felt like her head was splitting in to two but she could not really think straight with her head in that state. She opened her eyes and it was so bright, she close it immediately and she felt cold. _Ah! Geez, my head. And why is it so cold here?_

Now, shading her eyes with her hand, she opened her eyes slowly. The first thing she saw was an unfamiliar ceiling but it did not register in her mind until a few seconds later. _What?_ She tried to sat up but her head exploded again and was pulsing in pain. She flopped back to the bed. _Bed? I'm lying on a bed? In an unfamiliar room? Where am I? How did I get here? I can't even remember what happened yesterday. And this freaking head is killing me._

She turned her head slowly to her side. There was something yellow brightly shining with the effects of bright lights. She reached up to see what it was. When she touched it, she found out it was hair. _Wow… It's so soft. _She thought as she weaved her fingers in its silkiness. She froze as realization hit her because when there was hair, there was bound to be a head and a body. The hair moved and revealed a man's sleeping face, a very attractive and adorable sleeping face. Forgetting her headache, she brushed away the strands of hair covering parts of his face. As she got a good look on his face, her eyes widened. _T-Ts-Tsuruga-san? I-is it really him? He's hair is gold and shining like a fairy… _Her eyes started glazing in a daze but then snapped in the next second._ But what is he doing here? And why is his hair shining gold blonde? Wai-wait, wait, WAIT! Why are we even doing sleeping in the same bed? _

The man's eye's slowly opened revealing a captivating blue eyes meeting her surprised ones. _Is he really Tsuruga-san? _She asked herself again doubtfully as she stared at the blue-eyed, blonde haired man. He was still half asleep, so he just stared at her. But after a few minutes, his eyes showed that he was starting to realize what he was staring at. He reached out a hand, weaved it in her hair but it did not stay there as he ran it to her cheek and down her neck. Ren was now officially shocked because she was really there and not just his imagination. Well, he was happy to wake up to Kyoko, but the shock overpowered all other emotions. There was pure silence between them while they stared at each other's shocked faces. Ren, suddenly sat up but the world spun around and it felt like a volcano just erupted inside his head. "S***!"

He flopped back down to the bed just like Kyoko a few minutes ago. "Tsuruga-san are you ok- Aah!" She tried to asked him but her head was the same as his. She clutched her aching head. Ren closed his eyes as he adjusted to the pain in his head and seconds later, he looked around him slowly while still lying. They were lying in a bed with white sheets and fluffy white pillows. He turned away from Kyoko to look at were they were. He noticed immediately the small unfamiliar room. When he looked down to his side, the floor was a regular tatami. But there were a lot of big clear glasses with candles inside them and petals of roses spread around the floor. _Where the hell are we? _He thought while closing his eyes and slowly, really slowly rising up. He opened his eyes and the world did not spin but his head was still pounding.

He slowly shifted to his right and put his feet to the floor. The bed was only a foot high from the floor, it was just the mattress put on the floor. But as he took the white sheet blankets off of his waist and thigh, he was again surprised. He was butt and balls naked. He quickly covered himself with the white sheet. _What the hell? _He shouted in his head and felt it throbbed again. _F*** this head! I can't think straight. But if I'm butt naked, Kyoko… _He looked back to Kyoko and it was just as he dreaded. When he was about to get out of bed, he kind of pulled the blanket with him. Now, Kyoko's bare breasts were showing while she was shutting her eyes and clutching her head. He was now really shocked. _What the f***ing hell happened? Am I dreaming? No, it's turning into a nightmare!_

_**~1 day and 7 hours ago… At 12:00 AM on the 25**__**th**__** of December…~**_

"Happy 18th Birthday, Mogami-san!" Ren, for the second time, greeted her first after the clock stroke midnight. He smiled heavenly at her with a bouquet of 18 white and red roses. Kyoko froze by the brightness of his smile. She blinked once and twice before she could utter her thanks to him. She took the bouquet and smelled them and she flushed pink so cutely. It was her and Maria's grateful party again. Somehow it was becoming a tradition every year.

But a certain raven-haired lady broke their happy little bubble. "Kyoko! Happy Birthday!" Handing her gift in front of her. Kanae glanced at Ren and glared at him. He returned it with a smile. The president then got all of their attention when the choir sang that startling 'Happy Birthday' song. And the huge cake again was rolled in front of her. There was still a castle but not that huge anymore and it was fairy themed. There was a meadow with beautiful flowers in front of the castle and there were all kinds of small but still visible fairies here and there. Kyoko immediately went to la-la-land in front of everybody. Some were surprised on how she reacted but most were dazzled by her sparkly, glittery face of pure happiness.

Just then, she noticed near the entrance of the castle, a shiny golden blonde fairy with beautiful wings stood with a small girl with black pigtails. It looked like the fairy was taking the girl to the castle. "Corn!" She wiped a tear of happiness from her eye. She smiled a very lovely smile, that made everyone stopped and just stared at her.

_**~Back to present…~**_

Ren quickly covered Kyoko's breast with the blanket. _Am I seriously f***ing dreaming? 'Cause there is no f***ing way how this happened. _But the pounding in his head and the world spinning told him that he was not dreaming. He went back to sitting on the side of the bed and hung his head. "Tsuruga-san? Are you okay?" Kyoko asked.

_How am I going to explain this to her? I don't even remember. I'm the worst guy in the world… _He buried his face in his hands. "Tsuruga-san?" Kyoko asked getting worried by the minute when Ren still had not responded. _How could I? How did this happened? _"Tsuruga-san?" Kyoko called out again as she slowly sat up to check up on him. "Kyaah!" Ren's head snapped to Kyoko, ignoring the pain in his head. Her eyes were wide and she was covering her upper body with the blankets. Ren realized that Kyoko finally noticed that she was naked. She looked up at Ren and blushed red. He looked away while mumbling sorry to her.

He looked around him to find his clothes. Fortunately, an underwear and a pair of black pants were nearby. He was beginning to get used to the pounding of his head. He picked up his pants and underwear and got dressed quietly with his back to Kyoko. He slowly got up and looked around to find all of their clothes. As Ren walked around picking up clothes, he noticed a dress that was all white, something that looked like a white robe but the fabric was all lace and what looked like a white Obi (sash). He looked around him to look for more clothes. But he did not find any, except for her underwear and bra, which would have drove him crazy thinking that the girl he loved was half-lying frozen on the bed in front of him _**naked**_. But in their situation and the condition of his head, he was not in the mood for that. So Kyoko's clothes were only the white dress, lacy robe and an obi, and that triggered something in his mind. He looked at his left hand and saw what he dreaded the most (but would have made him the happiest man in the world if it were not for the strange situation they were in or if he only remembered) as everything fell into places inside his mind. _You have got to be kidding me? _He said wryly in his head.

Ren lowered himself and sat at the edge of the bed facing Kyoko and let out a draining sigh with a slight hint of surrender. She had her eyes tightly shut and her hands clutching the thin white sheet to her chest. He didn't want to scare her or anything but he felt that she needs to know the truth, which was clearly sparkling brightly on both of their left ring fingers like a neon sign saying 'Just married.' _F***, how the hell did it even happened? Maybe this was just a prank from the president. _He shook his head lightly. _He wouldn't do this kind of prank just to get me and Kyoko together. This is just too much. It's way over the line. _He looked back to the love of his life and thought that she had the right to know. So he cleared his dry throat and looked for the courage to tell her.

"Mogami-san." He started as calmly as he could. "Kyoko." Kyoko stiffened. He took a deep breath. Kyoko slowly opened her eyes and looked at him in the eyes which clearly showed confusion, fear and panic. "Don't panic, okay? I'm the same as you, I don't remember what the hell happened and I don't even know what date today is. And I _know_ I may be the worst guy in the world right now, but I think…" He paused. "…I think we're married."

* * *

><p><em>I know! I'm evil, huh? Lol I just like torturing people… just kidding! (or not) LOL Anyways, soooo… what do you think about the first chapter? Let me know… pretty, pretty please… ^_^ And just so you know, I might not update immediately after this. I just couldn't stop myself from publishing this. This idea has been consuming my mind lately. I'm so sorry for the cliffy… Thank you so much for reading though… <em>_J_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat! And its characters…

_I already wrote half of the chapter 2 before I published chapter 1, that's why I'm able to update so quickly… I hope you'll like this too… ^_^ Enjoy!_

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 2:

_What the hell?_

Kyoko stared at the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Ren like he was talking in a different language she did not understand. Then, he took her left hand in his. She eyed his movements cautiously as he held it up to her face and he also showed his left hand in front of her. She saw a sparkly diamond (the size of the diameter of a no.2 pencil) [sorry for the weird description] beautifully sitting on top of a gold ring and a very simple gold wedding band with a tiny diamond embedded in the middle on her left ring finger. She tore her eyes from the sparkly things on her finger and looked at Ren's matching gold wedding band on his left ring finger but his has a center slit and wider than hers which made it looked more masculine. Her head was spinning and then everything went black.

Ren nearly had a heart attack as he caught her when her body went limp. His face was close to hers that he could feel her breathing and he sighed in relief. If it wasn't for his head pounding he could have enjoyed that closeness to Kyoko but it felt like it was about to burst open, so he laid her limp body gently back to the bed. He remained still for a minute to get use to the pounding of his head. Then, he stood up and searched the room once again for any clues. But it was a small room compared to his bedroom and pretty much nothing was in there except for what he saw already. It was a Japanese style room. The doors were thin sliding doors that was why it was cold inside.

Since he did not find anything new inside that little room, he wanted to go outside to see where they were. But on the other hand, he did not want to leave Kyoko alone in an unfamiliar place, especially when she was unconscious. But he could not take any of the pounding of his head anymore. He grabbed his white shirt and slipped into it and since it was cold outside because the last time he remembered the date, it was December, he also wore his black suit jacket. Before he went outside he covered Kyoko's petite body properly with the thin blanket, so she would not catch a cold.

He opened the door and he stepped into a wide hallway and then a few feet in front of him were thin sliding doors again. He looked to his right, there were other doors which means other rooms. He went to the one next to them and stood in front of the door. He realized he did not know the time, it could have been so early in the morning and he could anger the people inside for waking them so early. He paused to think for a minute and decided he continue. He knocked but nobody answered. He knocked again, still nothing. He opened the door a little and found out it was empty. The next room was also empty. There were only three rooms in there. He realized it was a small building and it confused him even more.

_Oh yeah, what if I go out there and they recognized me as Tsuruga Ren? It could be chaotic and will be the headline scandal of every newspaper. _He contemplated through his throbbing head. He thought of calling someone but he had no cell phone, he did not know where his went. He only had his wallet with him. The thought of having money to pay for anything comforted him a little. But he realized that staying in there was going nowhere and would not solve their problem.

He opened the door and stepped out. There was a porch and he surveyed it. He found a pair of dress shoes, silver high heels which he thought were his and Kyoko's and a cute tiara. He picked all of it up and slipped the dress shoes on his feet. He put the heels and tiara inside and closed the door. He stared in front of him. The view was beautiful. It was a beautiful garden. There was a pond and a bridge over it. Though the sun was brightly shining above, the wind was still cold. He walked over the bridge towards the big building he saw ahead of him. The small building they stayed in was hidden by the trees in the garden.

But he thought it was very familiar and if the pounding of his head would just stop, he could have remembered where he saw this familiar surroundings already. He slowly went to the big building. There was a long porch outside and there were many sliding doors. He chose to go to the center and slightly bigger than the other doors. He gently opened it so he would not disturb anyone. It revealed a hallway as wide as the width of the doors. He stepped inside and slid the door close. He instinctively went forward to what looked like the entrance. But when he got there, he found that it was a restaurant. There were few people scattered around the big room having their meals. There was a counter and a girl in a kimono standing behind it.

He went to her and before he could ask any questions, she smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, Okyaku-sama. I will call the Okami-san." She said and she went inside a door behind her. He waited and when the door opened again, it revealed a small old lady with a very bright and warm smile. She bowed gracefully to him.

"Good morning, Hizuri-sama. What can I do for you?" She asked politely.

"Hiz-" _Hizuri-sama? _He asked himself in shock and he gritted as his head pounded again. He took a breath to calm himself down from the pain. "Before anything else, can I ask for some pain killers for my head and a glass of water please."

The old lady looked at him in concern and called one of the girls who wore Kimonos and told her what he wanted. When the girl went away, she looked at him. "Shall we take a seat?" She led him to one of the low tables with seat cushions on the floor around it. He gladly sat down on the opposite side of her. A minute later, his pain killer pills and a glass of water came. He thanked the girl as she went away.

Ren popped two pills on to his mouth and drank the whole glass. When he lowered his glass, a glint of something pale gold caught his eyes. He brought it up again in eye level. It reflected a sparkly pale gold hair and blue eyes. For a minute he just stared at his reflection. He really wished for the pain killers to take effect right that moment because it was tiring trying to think complicated stuff through a massive headache.

He decided to stop figuring it out by himself, it was going to hurt his head more. He took a deep breath and turned his attention to the smiling old lady in front of him. "Not to be rude, Okami-san, but where am I?" He asked her innocently. The lady's eyes showed surprise but then disappeared quickly. Then her smile got wider and it showed a bit of amusement now.

"You're at Tanaka Ryokan in Kyoto." She answered. _K-Kyoto? _He asked inside his still pounding head.

_**~1 day and 3 hours ago… At 4:00 AM on the 25**__**th**__** of December…~**_

Ren was waiting for Kyoko outside the entrance. He was going to give her a ride home and Yashiro made sure it was just the two of them by going home earlier than them.

Kyoko went to change and get her things. On her way out, she went by the kitchen to get some bottled water because she was feeling thirsty. She remembered there were bottled waters on the fridge. She saw four bottles of water on the nearest counter. In her hurry, she got two bottles from those and whispered her sorry for the one who got it out.

She met up with Ren at the entrance and they walked together to his car. As he settled in the driver's side after opening and closing the door on her side, she handed him one of the bottled waters. "Thanks." Ren said as he took the bottled water and put it on the holder between the seats.

Kyoko opened her bottled water and took five gulps. She set it down on the holder too as Ren pulled away from the president's villa's parking lot. "Did you enjoy yourself tonight, Mogami-san?" Ren asked Kyoko.

"Yes. It was fun but I didn't expect a lot of presents." She replied.

"It couldn't be help, there's a lot of people who cares about you and you're getting more and more popular too." Ren said with a smile as he glanced at her. Kyoko blushed at his words. "You can close your eyes and take a nap till we get to Daruma-ya." He suggested.

"No… It wouldn't be fair!" She argued as she turned on the radio so she wouldn't fall asleep. They settled into a comfortable as they listen to an upbeat music that Kyoko chose. Twenty minutes past since they left the president's villa. Ren listened to Kyoko singing and humming to the songs and her talking about why she liked or hated the songs. She changed the stations a few times when she didn't like the song that was playing.

Ren was happily enjoying the song, her singing and her presence when suddenly out of nowhere, he felt a warm little hand on his thigh. But what shocked him the most was, it was slowly sliding towards his groin.

"What the!" Ren yelped in surprised. Momentarily, he lost control and the car swerved for a second. He quickly controlled the steering wheel and stomped the brakes as he maneuvered it to the side of the street that it left tire skid marks on the concrete.

Ren was breathing heavily, trying to calm himself down from the mistake that could have caused their lives. But he was still very aware of that tiny little hand close to his groin. He looked at that hand and his eyes slowly traveled to the owner of that sneaky hand. He was met by a beautiful face of a woman who was trying her hardest to hold her laughter. After a second, a bubble of laughter came from her sweet little lips. Ren looked at her incredulously and felt exasperated.

Ren sighed a thousand years of misery and relief and asked the girl beside him, "How many drinks have you had tonight, Mogami-san?"

_**~Back to present!~**_

_How the hell did we ended up in Kyoto? _Ren shouted in his head. The Tsuruga Ren mask was gone and his thoughts showed in his face. "I knew you when you were little, my boy." The little Okami explained more to him. "You stayed here on a vacation once with your parents years ago, since then you've grown so big now." She let out a laugh. "Back then, I was the one looking down at you but now you are the one looking down at me."

Rusted gears slowly turning inside Ren's head and then clicked, he found those hidden memories of his childhood. He remembered that summer his family vacationed there. That was also the time they first met, Kyoko and him.

"I'm sorry, my boy. I would like to explain some more but there will be more guests coming for breakfast soon, so I must go do my job." She said as she smiled politely again. Then, she called for one of the girls again. A girl came and she presented a digital camera on the table. It looked familiar to Ren. "This is yours, you left it with one of the waitresses you asked to take pictures for you two. I hope this will help you. Just ask her if you need anything else." With that, the old lady was gone.

He took a few minutes to get his thoughts together with what he learned from the old lady. The pounding in his head was now beginning to gradually lessen. "What would you like for breakfast okyaku-sama?" The girl's voice brought him back. He looked at her blankly then he blinked twice.

"Uh, do you do room service?" He asked.

"Yes, Okyaku-sama. Would you like it to be brought to your room?"

"Yes, please. Breakfast for two, just light Japanese breakfast with lots of soup. A glass of water and pain killer pills too."

The girl nodded and went away. Ren looked at the camera. To be perfectly honest, he was afraid of the thing. He was afraid of what it was going to reveal to him. He hesitantly took it and stood up. He went back to there room wearily. He was thinking whether to look at the pictures by himself or he should wait for Kyoko to wake up and they check it out together.

* * *

><p><em>Heyyy… So, did you like this chap too? I really hope so… Some commented it is like hangover. Yes, it is a little kinda like hangover… as for nudity, there wasn't really much of it. It was just words like naked, breasts, butt and balls which a kid 13 and above have already heard at least once… No offense but I just really don't want it to be M… and someone wrote, it's like a marriage challenge… Well, the first chapter was already almost finished and the basic plot of the story was already formed in my mind when some authors published about marriage challenges recently, and I thought "Wow! My new story kinda fits this challenge." So those are my answers… Oh! as for those who wanted to know, if they did or did not do it… You just have to wait and read… lol Thanks so much for your reviews… It really helped me published chapter 2 faster… ^_^ so don't forget to review this chap too lol ;P I'm gonna work on Baby Ren now ^_^<em>


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Skip Beat! And its characters…

_I just finished this chap, so please excuse all the typos and my bad English grammar… ^_^ Hope you'll enjoy it…_

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 3:

_Turn it up! It's five minutes to midnight!_

_You're coming home with me tonight…_

Ren sat on the floor next to the bed so he would not disturb or wake Kyoko up. He looked at the digital camera in his hands. He was debating inside his head whether to look at its contents or not. In the end he turned it on. The thing powered on and the screen glowed to life. Kyoko stirred which startled Ren and made him turn to look back at her. She was so peacefully asleep with no worries written on her face . Ren noticed just then that Kyoko's hair was dyed back to black again and it was now longer because she did not cut it since she entered LME.

Ren could not helped but be captivated by her beauty. He unconsciously pointed the camera at her and pressed the button to capture the moment forever. Then suddenly an idea came up in his head. He looked at the big clear glasses and examined the candles inside. They were still usable so he looked for a lighter. He found one on top of a dresser which was the only furniture inside the room besides the mattress. He lighted all the candles.

The effect was amazing, especially on the thin white long cloth on the head of the bed that was draped from the ceiling to the floor like an inverted V shape. He picked up a hand full of rose petals on the floor and scattered them all around Kyoko on the bed. He straightened up, stepped back and then crouched down by the door. He set the camera to movie, pointed it to the nearest glowing candle inside a big glass and pushed the button to start recording.

The candle light looked very romantic on the screen. He then pointed it to the lovely rose petals on the floor. He straightened up and zoomed out to get the breathtaking view of the whole room. He zoomed it in to the glittering draped white cloth on the head of the bed. Filming dramatically from the top going down to the lovely sight on the sea of flowing white sheet and scattered petals, where his enchanting wife lay. Ren groaned internally. _I'm going to hell for this. I still don't even know how this happened and now I'm enjoying it. _But he could not stop. Ren moved closer to the bed past the many twinkling lights in the sea of red rose petals. He started from her legs and to her lovely face.

Coincidentally, her left hand was beside her head showing her shining engagement and wedding rings because she shifted in her sleep when she stirred and laid on her side. Ren, instinctively, focused the camera on her hand as he leaned on the bed cautiously so not to wake her up. He put his left hand next to hers capturing the bands that symbolized and showed their unity. He took the camera away but still pointing at her and leaned forward and planted a kiss on her cheek.

He smiled heavenly despite all the unknown, fear and confusion as he pressed the button to end his little filming and turned the camera off. He blew all the lights from the candles and put it on one side of the room to make room for the breakfast he knew would come soon. And just after he was finished cleaning up, a soft knock came from the door. He opened it to see the waitress he ordered from sitting outside with a small circular low table with all their food. He took the table inside.

"Thank you." He said. "uhm, do you have some comfortable clothes that… my wife could change into?" He asked hesitantly.

"Oh, we have the clothes she wore before she changed into her dress, already washed and cleaned. I'll deliver it here in a moment, okyaku-sama. Please, excuse me." The waitress answered in a polite smile as she closed the door and went away.

Ren sighed when he was left alone again. He looked at the table where their delicious looking breakfast were. He moved it near the bed and sat in front of it. Then, he realized that he forgot to order the most important thing he needed, coffee. He bear in mind to order it when the waitress come again. But for the moment the soup would just do. Every ten seconds his gaze find its way to the beautiful woman laying on the bed and it was driving him crazy. He scolded himself for it. He was worried about how to explain their situation, how she would feel about it, how she would come to really hate him for the things he did to her that he did not even remember.

Thankfully, the waitress came again with Kyoko's clothes and a white thin veil neatly folded on top of the clothes. He ordered his pot of coffee and a mug because he did not know how many cups he would be needing and the waitress told him she would be right back with his order. When he settled down in front of the table again, he noticed Kyoko moved. He stilled, as he saw her eyes slowly opened. _W-what am I going to do?_ He thought in a panic.

_**~1 day and 3 hours ago… At 4:20 AM on the 25**__**th**__** of December…~**_

Ren sighed a thousand years of misery and relief and asked the girl beside him, "How many drinks have you had tonight, Mogami-san?"

Ren turned the radio off and gently pried her hand off his thigh. He heard her giggle heartily as if she did not hear his question. The hand, that he pried off his thigh, caught his hand and started drawing circles on it. He looked at her enjoying the exploration of his hand. Her hand slowly went up his forearm. All the while, the smile on her face did not disappear. He was sure that she was really, genuinely enjoying herself.

"Ren…" Kyoko called his name in a husky voice as she titled her head to met his eyes. "You feel so hot…"

Ren's eyes widened and his mouth went dry. He tried swallowing his saliva and blinked twice before he could escaped her spell. _I need to cool down. _He thought frantically. He took his hand away from her hand and opened the bottled water she gave him. He took a few gulps and started looking around outside his window to see where they were again. _Good… My apartment's five minutes away from here. _He thought as he tried to calm his breathing. _I can't let the Daruma-ya couple see her like this. _He pulled away from the curb and headed to his apartment._ But I don't think I can even manage to get far with her like this. _He thought wryly, when he felt her sneaky little hand on his arm again.

He felt her hand went up his shoulders, massaging the muscles she could touch over his clothes. It was surely warming him up. _Concentrate. Concentrate. Concentrate! _He chanted in his head as he felt her bare hand on the skin of his neck. He did not dare take his eyes off the road. Her smooth slender fingers massaged the base of his neck and going slowly upward. It was driving him crazy. He was even getting drunk in every sweet giggle she make. It surely was the longest five minutes in Ren or Kuon's entire life.

When Ren finally parked his car and turned the engine off, he closed his eye as he briefly lost himself in the feeling her little massage was causing him. Then, he sighed as he opened his eyes to look to his right at his little temptress's alluring face. _This night is going to be a long night, _he thought. He got out of the car and walked to open her door. He offered a hand to help her stand up.

"You're such a prince charming, Ren." Kyoko said breathily and giggled as she stood up and Ren closed the door. They started walking but Kyoko could not walk straight, she gripped Ren's arm and put all her weight on it. "Ren… carry me…" She whined.

Ren's jaw tightened as he sucked a breath before he swept her off her feet and carried her princess style. Kyoko enthusiastically wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled into the crook of his neck. Ren held his breath for a few seconds when he felt her lips on his skin. "You're so warm… I like it…" Kyoko mumbled against his skin which made him gasped. He had to let out a calming breath.

_Just endure it for a few minutes. _Ren told himself in his head as they rode the elevator. _Then you can lock her up in the guest room until she sober up. _But the little thing he was carrying did not agree to his thoughts because he felt Kyoko inhaled a lung full of air through her nose. "You smell so nice…" Then suddenly, she licked his neck. He could not stop himself from shuddering.

The elevator finally dinged, signaling that they arrived on their floor. Ren hurriedly opened his apartment's door and went inside as he kicked the door closed. He walked as fast as he could to the guest room and gently laid Kyoko on the bed. But when he tried to get up, he found out he could not. Kyoko's arms would not let him. "Kyoko, please let go of me." He begged. _Before I lose control of myself… _

"Nooo…" She whined disapprovingly. "Don't go." She said as she started kissing his neck.

"Kyoko!" Ren growled. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths to calm himself. But it had the opposite effect because his nose was filled with Kyoko's tantalizing scent. He pushed against the bed but he just pulled her with him. He was afraid to touch her, in case he really might lose control. "Kyoko." He tried to sound stern and serious.

"You taste so nice, Ren…" Kyoko mumbled against his skin and Ren finally lost it. He tilted her head and kissed her full on the lips. He felt her lips curved into a smile for a second before she fervently kissed him back. It took all of Ren's remaining self control for his hands not to wander all over her body. They pulled inches away after a few while to catch their breath and she looked at him with her passion glazed eyes and whispered, "I love you, Ren…"

_**~Back to Present…~**_

Ren watched her opened her eyes. Her brow furrowed and she squinted her eyes because of the brightness. She looked around and stopped when her eyes finally landed on Ren. What happened when she woke up earlier suddenly came back to her. She stared at Ren for a full minute and Ren nervously held his breath. Kyoko then looked down and covered herself protectively. Ren had to look away, but he remembered the pain killer pills. So, he stood up with pills and glass of water in his hands and took them to her while concentrating on just looking at her face and not her body.

Ren gave it to her silently, because he did not really know what to say. Last time he talked to her, she fainted. He picked up the folded pile of her clothes and put it at the foot of the bed. He nodded and mechanically went to the other the direction to give her privacy to change. He did not really think were he was going until he opened the door and went inside a bathroom. It was the first time he discovered there was a bathroom. The wall was the whole sliding door, so he thought before that it would led to the other rooms. It was an average bathroom. Not to large and not too cramped. There was a big bathtub and a shower head over the wall to his right side. In front of him was a sink and beside them was a bathroom cabinet for towels. And to the left was the bowl. It was surprisingly very western style. The concept was western but the materials were purely Japanese style.

Ren walked to the bowl, lowered the cover and sat there. He's thoughts were all jumbled up. He did not want to explain to Kyoko anymore because the situation was getting worse and worse as he try to find out what happened and how did it happened to them. Especially because he did not want to hurt her any more than he already did, which he did not really remember. Then a thought came to his head. _Why should I feel guilty? I don't even remember doing it. _Then, he sighed. _I really am the worst for thinking that. _

A soft knock on the door outside startled Ren out of his thoughts. He unconsciously opened the bathroom door to get it. But he froze when he saw her in the middle of putting her jeans on. Luckily, Kyoko already had her blouse on. "Sorry." He said automatically but he looked her over once before he closed the door. Kyoko was frozen in an awkward position in putting on her jeans. Her face, neck and ears were all flushed red. Then, she was startled awake by the knock again.

"Just a second." Kyoko called out. She pulled jeans up and button it as she hurriedly stumbled to open the door. The waitress was surprised to see her, especially by her flushed face. The waitress also blushed a little as she thought that she interrupted them on their honeymoon. The waitress remembered why she was there and handed Kyoko the serving tray with a pot of coffee and a mug on top of it. Then, she hurriedly excused herself mumbling an apology for disturbing them. Kyoko stared confusedly at the door which the waitress hurriedly close in her face.

* * *

><p><em>Sooo… what do you think? Is it too M for anyone? Coz I will TRY to tone it down in the next chapters. Or maybe I'll just change it to M. But I don't want it to be M. That's why I didn't really try to go into details in this chap. Aahhh… never mind, it's giving me headaches… Well, this chapter doesn't really answer questions for you. I'm sorry… and Kyoko's not herself coz of SOMETHING, so some may think it's OOC… Anyways, thank you so much for reading and for all who reviewed, Love you guys, and also for those who alerted and fav-ed this story… see yah next chap! ^_^<em>

_Oh yeah! I just remembered... I have a new Skip Beat English Fandub song... This time it's "Prisoner" Just go to my homepage and click the link to my youtube channel... :D_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat! And its characters…

_Okay… here's the next chapter… I hope you'll like it… Excuse me for all the wrong grammars and typos… Enjoy! ^_^ _

**The Great Escape **

Chapter 3:

_Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you!_

When Ren heard the waitress closed the door, he was frozen for a moment. He heard Kyoko padded on the floor. Ren slightly opened the bathroom door and poked his head out and found Kyoko setting the tray on the floor beside the small table. He slowly got out of the bathroom and sat across Kyoko in front of the table. He watched her in loose sitting position that was so unlike her and then poured coffee on the mug they provided on the tray. Ren thought that she would gave it to him but he was surprised to see her picked it up and took a sip from it. A really long sip from it.

"A…are you okay?" Ren asked in bewilderment. It was really making him worried about her because Kyoko did not drink coffee, especially early in the morning without eating anything first. The only answer he got was when she looked at him in the eyes. Her eyes showed confusion and fear. "I'm sorry… Let's eat first."

They started eating and the sound of their utensils were the only sound in the room. When they finished eating and Kyoko's head was clearing more and more, and had enough room to process things. A surge of panic was slowly rising inside her. She looked at her left hand and the shiny things on it. _W-we're… T-tsuruga-san and I are… m-m-m-marr… NO! no, no, no… T-that's not p-possible! T-that's not… _An image of the two of them naked in bed earlier that morning flashed in her mind. She shook her head and let out a heavy sigh. She did not want her mind to go there. She did not want to know why they were in bed naked. But what she did want to know was why Ren look the way he was, like her fairy prince Corn.

Ren noticed her sigh and her brow furrowed. He knew that he had to get talking soon. He took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. Ren reached his hand out hesitantly and covered Kyoko's hand with his. She stiffened. "It's going to be okay." He gave her hand a little squeeze. Kyoko slowly looked up to him. "I promise, okay?" She nodded.

_**~1 day and 3 hours ago… At 4:50 AM on the 25**__**th**__** of December…~**_

Ren stared at Kyoko. Her words echoed in his mind. He looked at her eyes which were looking back at him in a daze of passionate desires. He swore he saw her amber eyes turned into a darker shade of orange. His jaw tightened and he could not helped but swallow his saliva. He was barely controlling himself. He could feel his self-control slipping away and his instincts told him that it was not just because of her effect on him. It was much, much more than that. _Maybe those couple of drinks are working now. _He thought as his lips crashed into hers almost violently.

Kyoko responded with the same passion. Impatient hands explored each other's body, skin on skin. "You're so beautiful, Kyoko." Ren murmured, lips against her neck and traveling down. He heard her moaned in pleasure. He nearly bit her flesh when he heard it. Their tops were already long gone. Ren's lips were still going south of her body, kissing every inch of her. He stopped when he ran into an obstacle, her jeans. He pulled inches away and glanced at her face. His mind cleared for a moment and he caught himself.

Ren was breathing heavily and holding himself up and away from Kyoko's body beneath him. Her eyes were closed. He heard her moaned in protest and her hands searched for him. Her eyes opened when he still did not move and continue.

"Ren…" She looked at him with desperate eyes as her fingers weaved through his hair and gently massage his head. His eyes closed and he let out a sigh of pleasure. His lips found hers again.

Ren sighed when they pulled apart. "I love you, Kyoko." He dipped in for a short kiss. "I love you so much… My pure, sweet, innocent Kyoko." He kissed her every time he paused (in other words, every comma). He rested his forehead on hers with their eyes closed. He then pulled away to looked at her seriously, as serious as he could try to be in his state. "That's why," He said as he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, without breaking eye contact. "I… I can't take you."

Kyoko's eyes stared at him for a few second before her mind slowly processed what he said. But Ren was already pulling away from her and she did not want that. She wrapped her legs around him. Ren froze and groaned. "No!" She protested. And started kissing his neck and nipped his ear.

"Kyoko…" He groaned. "Dammit, Kyoko!" He growled and pried her head of him to looked at her. "I can't… I, I don't want to taint your innocence. Not… Not before we're married." He finally said it.

Kyoko stared at him and suddenly burst into a giggle fit. He was again surprised at her reaction. Though part of him was angry, because he was completely being serious and she just went and laughed at him. He was even controlling himself for her sake and he wanted her so bad that it really hurt. He managed not to do anything before she calmed down, which was a good thing. She smiled at her angelically. "Why don't we just get married then?" She suggested in her completely beautiful and blissful face. But then, her face turned serious. "And I mean right NOW! I don't want to wait another minute."

Ren was over the moon, in cloud nine, in heaven or wherever people go when they are beyond happy. His lips curved and he grinned like an idiot as chuckles bubbled up his throat. He kissed her and stopped to say, "I could die of happiness right now. Hmmm… I love you, Kyoko. I promise you won't regret this." He said with a grin.

"I know. Let's go get married!" Kyoko said enthusiastically.

_**Back to present…~**_

_So I'm gonna give all my secrets away!_

"Why do you look like that?" Kyoko blurted out the words she was holding since her mind cleared and the throbbing pain went away. Ren's expression was pretty funny if not for the situation. Kyoko could not imagine that The Tsuruga Ren could make a face like a deer caught in the headlights.

Ren glanced to his left guiltily. "Yeah…" He said slowly. "I was getting to that, Mogami-san." He smiled nervously. "I, uhm, please don't be mad at me." He suddenly pleaded which was so not Ren-like. Kyoko stared at him in confusion. "I'm sorry. Uhm, you know that my real name's not Tsuruga Ren, right?" He asked.

"Yes." Kyoko answered with a nod. Ren took a deep breath to compose himself.

"Well, I'm not pure Japanese either. These… are my real hair and eye color." He confessed. "I'm… My real name is Hizuri Kuon. I'm Hizuri Kuu's son." Kyoko gasped and her eyes widened.

"I, I, I thought father's son was… d-dead." Kyoko said. "He, he said he had not seen his son since he was fifteen and that he was g-gone." Kyoko's mind turned and processed information.

"That's because I hadn't seen them since I came to Japan, especially as Kuon." Ren explained. Kyoko's brows furrowed deeply in confusion and a little bit of bitterness, you could say, in her eyes.

"W-why?" Kyoko asked him. Ren heaved a long heavy sigh.

"I could not face them until I changed… I want to prove myself to them, make them proud…" Ren explained defensively. "that I can stand on my own and reach my own goals without them… or their influence."

'_Father's hands are too big, my wings broke every time I try to get away.' _Corn's words echoed in Kyoko's mind and she was confused why she thought of that. _Maybe because Tsuruga-san looks kinda like Corn._ She reasoned to herself. But she did understood where he was coming from and forgave him for not seeing and communicating with his parents, who loved him so much.

"And I've also been here… in this ryokan… I was about ten years old." He was very nervous. She did not want her to hate him, especially in their awkward situation already. "I went to explore the woods when I got bored. And that was when I first met you." His lips curved into a small smile. "A little girl with black pigtails…" He looked at her sheepishly. "I am your fairy prince Corn, Kyoko-chan."

_**~1 day and 2 hours ago… At 5:10 AM on the 25**__**th**__** of December…~**_

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ren held Kyoko still. "I have something improtant to tell you before that." Kyoko looked at him with a silent are-you-kidding-me look. But then sighed in surrender.

"Make it short or you're never leaving this bed." Kyoko said with a sexy smile but he could see she was very serious.

"Okay." Ren agreed. "To make it short. I am Hizuri Kuon, son of Hizuri Kuu and Julie. I'm only quarter Japanese. I came here because I want to change myself and make a name for myself without my parent's influence." He said all that in one breath and took another deep breath to continue. "And… I am the fairy prince Corn you met in Kyoto when you were six. I am actually not… a fairy… Is that short enough?"

Kyoko stared at him. Her mind working and slowly processing all the words he just said. The ones that actually stick to her mind were the words, **Hizuri Kuon and fairy prince Corn**. _Ren is Kuon… and kuon is also Corn… so Ren is Corn… My fairy prince Corn… _She thought in conclusion. In her mind, the image of Ren and Corn wrapped into one and turned into one hot, sexy, gorgeous prince charming. And that prince charming was going to be hers forever both body and mind… and she liked the thought of that. She licked her lips and then it turned into a sexy grin.

"I think I wanna see you with Corn's hair and those swimming blue eyes." Kyoko said huskily in a whisper. Ren sighed in relief and grinned at her.

Minutes later, Ren and Kyoko were upstairs in the apartment complex's store. They were glad that the store had everything and that they sell expensive brand name products. So they had a variety selection of temporary hair dye for both of them. They chose the temporary hairsprays because they were in a hurry. Ren got five bottles of his hair color and Kyoko got three bottles of black for hers. They went to the counter to pay for it and quickly went back to Ren's apartment. Ren and Kyoko spent almost an hour in Ren's bathroom before they emerged with new hair colors and Ren's eyes without contacts. Kyoko and Ren, now transformed back to Kuon, went down to the parking lot and drove off to get themselves married.

_**Back to present…~**_

Kyoko scrambled up unexpectedly and accidentally knocked the table. Fortunately, the table was knocked sideways and not towards Ren. But he did react quickly and stood up too. Kyoko stopped in her standing position and looked down in surprise to the loud crashing mess she made. She felt bad but what she felt about what Ren, or Hizuri Kuon or whoever he said he was, just said did not waver because of some simple crash. She slowly looked up and glared at him.

"Y-you're lying." She told him as she shook her head. "That's not possible." She turned to leave but Ren got a hold of her wrist and pulled her to him.

Ren reached his hand out for her. "Kyoko, I'm telling the truth. And I'm so sorry to tell you that I'm not actually a fairy." His arms circled around her in cage to keep her from leaving.

"Let me go! Don't make a fool out of me!" Kyoko yelled angrily and pushed against Ren's chest. "I'm not your toy! That you can bully and make fun of!"

"I have never once made fun of you." Ren explained sincerely with a bit pleading voice. "Tease you a little, but not bully you. I am not lying, Kyoko. I remember every bit of the time we spent in that clearing. I stayed here when we met and I can even show you the way to that clearing from here. Believe me."

Ren tried to make her look at him. "Remember how happy you were when I flew. How you cried and talked about not getting hundred percent in your exams and could not make your mother proud. How you wet your handkerchief and put it on my forehead. And how you curtsied on the biggest flat rock that looked like a hamburger… You haven't told anyone about it, so how come I know it? It's because I was there. I _am_ Corn!"

Kyoko silently looked at him. He could see her thinking. "The reasons I didn't tell you because I couldn't tell you I was Corn without telling you everything about my real identity and I didn't want to crush your dream about having a fairy prince friend. And maybe… I was afraid you would be disappointed in me if you knew the truth…"

Ren let go of her, took a step back away from her and looked away. "I'm not the prince you once knew… When I was in America, I did terrible things… I turned violent because of bullying… I,I developed a dark side and got into fights…" He lowered his head and was looking down on the floor as he clenched his hand into a tight fist that he could feel his nails digging into his palms. "And got my best friend Rick into it. He was killed because of me…" He whispered in a pained voice. He stood there and dreadfully waited for the moment she would leave him.

Kyoko recalled all the events that happened between them in a new light with the information she got from him. _W-was this what he was carrying inside all through these years?… All the time when he was Cain and BJ… capture the monster… _Kyoko thought as a tear slid down her cheek. She looked at the man in front of him who looked like a kid who was so lost and battered emotionally. _I didn't know… _"I, I'm so sorry…" She whispered and stepped closer to him-Ren, the man she gradually knew from the time they meet almost two years ago; Corn, the little fairy prince she knew when she was little; and Kuon, the man who holds darkness in heart for so long, the man she just met and the man owned the other two person she knew well. Kuon was all of them because without Kuon, Ren and Corn would not exist. Kyoko's trembling hand slowly and gently wrapped around his solid body but right that moment he looked so frail. The arms around him held him tighter, not wanting to let him slip away to those dark dimensions she knew he went to after that nearly car accident in Dark Moon. She would not let him go there anymore… She would not let it happen…

* * *

><p><em>Wow, this chapter was intense… I'm glad I finally finished it… I'm actually sick for three days now. I have a cough and cold… Thankfully no fever. I hope you really liked this chapters and answered some of your questions… Sooo… What do you think will happen next? ^_^<em>

_Thanks for all the reviews! And for reading, alerting and fav-ing! See you next chap… _


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Skip Beat! And its characters…

_Happy Valentine's day guys! Hope you still have the time and energy left after your dates to read my new chapter… ^_^ So here it is filled with my writer's love for you guys… (though I wouldn't call myself a writer… yet? Lol) Hope you'll enjoy it… :D_

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 5:

_Stop and stare…_

_You start to wonder why you're here not there…_

Ren/Kuon was really shock when Kyoko hugged him and apologized to him. _Why was she apologizing?_ Part of his mind wondered and most of his mind was busy thinking why she was still there. He really thought that she was really going to leave him. _W-hy? Why is she still here? I couldn't even stand myself, how can she? _He thought as he stared at the petite girl hugging him and crying. _Crying?… for him? W-why? _He was very confused but his frown was not for that reason. He frowned because he did not want to see her to cry and feel bad or upset her. _What am I doing making her cry? _He hugged her back tightly, like his life depended on it as he decided to forget all his worries and start focusing on her because he chose her instead of his dark self. The only thing that matters was her.

Ren kissed her hair and moved them to the bed. He slowly lowered them down. It did not matter how she could accept him for all he was, he was just very happy she was still there. She stayed… with him. Hugging him, even. That was more than he could asked for. After a while, she calmed down and he saw her blushed as she tried to hide her face in his chest, even her ears were red. He pulled apart and made her look up at him with his finger on her chin. She did not meet his gaze at first but finally looked into his eyes when he made no move whatsoever.

"A-are you okay?" She asked in a nervous stutter.

"I should be the one asking you that." He countered.

"I-I'm fine." She answered and look around to avoid his eyes. He sighed. _I think it's time for us to face our situation, _he thought as he pulled away from her and gave her space for herself.

"I guess… we'll have to talk now about what to do about our situation here." He said and saw surprise in her eyes for a few seconds before it disappeared and change into confusion and fear. She nodded silently. "What I do know after going out are, we are in Tanaka Ryokan in Kyoto-"

_I know that Ryokan. It's near The Fuwa Ryokan. _She thought in surprise. _Wow… We're in Kyoto! How did we get here? It's so far from Tokyo._

_**~1 day and 2 hours ago… At 5:30 AM on the 25**__**th**__** of December…~**_

Kuon pulled into the parking lot near the train station. Kyoko lazily looked around her surroundings outside the car. She frowned in confusion and irritation. "Why are we here? I thought we were going to get married? This is not the place where you get married!" She complained impatiently.

Kuon looked at her amusedly as he turned in his seat to face her. "Kyoko, my love." He said lovingly as the back of his right hand caressed her cheek. "You're only eighteen. We can't get married if you have no parental consent. So… we're going to Kyoto to visit the ones who raised you to get them to sign it, okay?"

Kyoko got a hold of his hand and turned it to snuggle her face into his big, warm palm. Then, she kissed it softly at first and proceeded to kissing his wrist and felt his pulse started racing. She smiled satisfactorily at his reaction and licked it. Koun suddenly jerked his hand away from her as he breathed heavily. "I think you already understand. let's go." He looked around and picked up two bottles of water in case they got thirsty and went out of the car to open the door for her. She took his offered hand and stood up. Koun wound a hand around her waist to keep her steady and walk properly because she was walking wobbly. They made their way to the train station and bought tickets for the Shinkansen going to Kyoto.

_**~Back to Present…~**_

"-and I think everyone who works in this ryokan knows we're married…" Ren continued and Kyoko blushed in embarrassment again. Ren looked around them for the camera as he continued talking. "The Okami of this ryokan remembers me as Kuon years ago when we first meet. It's also obvious with my look. Here it is!"

Ren finally found his digital camera the Okami gave him. "The Okami gave me this." He showed it to her. "It's mine, I think we brought this with us yesterday… I think it has pictures of what we did yesterday." He said nervously and looked down. "Do… Do you want to look at it together? Try to find clues about yesterday? I still didn't look at it…"

Kyoko looked at the camera as if any moment it would jump up towards her and bite her. It was true that she was frustrated of not remembering what happened yesterday because every time she tried to reach down and remember, it was just blank, nothing. But she was also afraid of finding out what really happened yesterday because she could not even believed that Ren and her were really married. She did not even want to think about what happened last night to cause them to wake up naked in bed together. _But maybe we really did not get married officially. _Some other part of her mind whispered to her. _I'm still eighteen and I can't get married without parental consent and nobody knew where my mother is. _It sounded stupidly good to her and it gave her the courage to really find out the truth. _This will truly clear everything out. _She nodded to herself.

"Okay." Kyoko answered in a whisper. Ren looked at her for a second and then something clicked in his mind. He remembered the little filming he had a while ago and he did not want for Kyoko to find that. So he powered on the camera and clicked preview of all the saved content. He slowly made his way to her and clicked past the video and picture he took of her. He sat down as the next picture appeared in the little preview screen. Kyoko peered at it and was shocked. She gasped and her trembling hand slowly made it way to cover her mouth as she blushed furiously.

The picture was clearly from the end to the beginning or last to first because the picture they were seeing were clearly the last. The picture was of them, the two of them, Ren and Kyoko. _M-my hair is black again? _Kyoko thought and the trembling hand that covered her mouth went to touch her hair and she looked down to look at it. It surely was black. _And h-h-how, wh-wh-wh-why? Wh-wha-what was I th-thinking? _She shouted inside his head in a panic that she did not noticed the guy beside him blushed furiously too. In the picture, he carried her princess style and her arms were around his neck and they were sharing in what looked like a very passionate kiss.

Ren swallowed his saliva in his dried mouth and clicked to looked at the next picture. They had the same position but it was zoomed out to get the beautiful background. The two were on the middle of the little bridge over the pond. Behind them were the blazing sky of a beautiful sunset. It was so sweet, perfect and romantic that they booth stared at it for a while, admiring it as if the two people in the picture were not them. They sat there stiffed and stunned as Ren's thumb clicked and clicked from picture to picture until the very end. They felt numb as they saw glimpses of what happened or more what they had done yesterday. But as picture to picture passed by, they gradually felt numb and did not know what to think anymore because it was like looking at pictures of strangers.

_**~1 day and 2 hours ago… At 8:00 AM on the 25**__**th**__** of December…~**_

Koun and Kyoko went in the train quarter to six and the train started moving exactly at six. The two hours were a torture for the two of them. Kyoko was so impatient and was giving Koun a really hard time. Kyoko's hands and lips could not stop moving all through the ride. If they were not in such a public place, he could have really lost his cool. He just simply past the time taking pictures of her.

They were now outside Kyoto's train station and was waiting for a cab. After a while, they finally hailed a cab. They dropped by the bank for Koun to withdraw money and made their way to the Fuwa Ryokan. On their way, Koun asked the driver if he could hire him for the whole day because they had a lot of places they would be going to. The driver, seeing that the guy looked like a foreigner which means he had a lot of money, happily agreed.

The taxi pulled up in front of the Fuwa Ryokan finally. Kyoko excitedly went out the car as Kuon followed behind. They went inside the building and was welcomed by the Okami. Kyoko's face lit up with a smile when she saw the Okami.

"It's been a long time, Okami-san." Kyoko greeted her with the same bow the Okami showed them. Kuon quickly bowed with her too. When the Okami had a good look at Kyoko, she was shocked as she recognized her immediately.

"Ky-kyoko-chan?" The Okami asked in surprise. But like an actress, the look of surprise disappeared and she went back into her kind, polite and welcoming Okami character. "Welcome to Fuwa Ryokan, Kyoko-chan and?…"

"Hizuri Kuon, Fuwa-san. It's nice to meet you." Kuon bowed to the smiling lady in front of him. "We…" He put an arm around Kyoko. "have something important to discuss with you and your husband."

Again the lady was surprise but schooled her face and smiled at them. "Nice to meet you too. Let's go to the tea room." Kyoko and Kuon followed the Okami into a room. Koun followed Kyoko's lead and sat down formally next to her while the Okami went to get her husband and the tea.

Kyoko and Kuon did not wait long, when the door opened again to reveal the Fuwa couple. The Okami was still smiling politely but the Taisho's expression was grim. _Are all Taishos look all ready to kill with their knives? _Kuon wondered. Kuon, with his gentleman ways got up and so did Kyoko. The Fuwas entered the room and closed the door to finally give them the privacy they needed. Not that Kuon was ashamed of people knowing he was going to marry or was loving Kyoko. In fact, he wanted the whole world to know about how much he loved Kyoko, how beautiful and amazing his lovely Kyoko is and how happy and lucky he was that she wanted to get married to him, to HIM!

"Good Morning, Fuwa-san. I'm Hizuri Kuon. Nice to meet you." Kuon greeted and introduced himself with a bow when the couple stood several feet across them.

"Hn." The Taisho grunted in reply, passively.

"It's been a long time, Taisho-san." Kyoko bowed as graceful as she could in her state as she greeted the chef she had learned a lot from and respected greatly. When the Taisho looked at Kyoko, his facial expression changed into a more cheerful one but just nodded in response. They all sat down and the Okami served them with tea.

"So, how have you been?… since then." The Okami was the first to break the silence. Kyoko perked up like a puppy when it heard its master arrived home.

"Oh, it's been wonderful! It's like Cinderella!" Kyoko exclaimed in excitement as she clap her hands in front of her and her eyes sparkled. "When we arrived there, I worked three part-time jobs to pay for our food and expensive apartment. I worked really hard to the bones like Cinderella without any complaints and hard feelings because I loved Sho and I wanted to make his dreams come true. But when he became big several months later, I found out he only brought me as his maid and he was about to send me back here, so we went our separate ways." She eyes sad for a moment.

The Fuwas looked at her in confusion at first but then turned to surprised and then horrified at what they found out. _Looks like they aren't so heartless like their son. _Kuon thought begrudgingly. But then Kyoko perked up again with her sparkly eyes like seeing fairies all around.

"But when I was wandering around looking for a more meaningful job, a King in white horse noticed my potential. Oh, Taisho-san, it's because of the Katsura-muki technique you taught me. And when I was helping an actress, she suddenly offered me a chance for a big role of an Ojou-sama. And all I learned from you Okami-san was greatly appreciated." Kyoko said sweetly. Then, her eyes showed love and happiness as she looked at the couple in front of her. "That's why I want to thank you very much for caring for me and raising me so good-naturedly." She deeply bowed to the Fuwa couple for a full minute and rose back up again. Her cheeks tainted pink and she smiled the most angelic smile Kuon had ever seen her made. It was breath taking and he was not the only one who was affected by it.

_Haaaa… finally finished… I'm so tired from the fun date I had the whole day… ^_^ but I love my readers too so I hope it wasn't too late… lol Oh BTW My avatar in my profile or Bio is the design of Kyoko's wedding dress in this story… ^_^ Anyways, I don't know why but all through every winter, I have cold and cough. It really sucks, especially with this crazy weather! The weather's hot n' then cold, it's bright n' it's dark, It just really sucks! LOL that's my own version of Katy Perry… no copying :D So I thank you for reading, reviewing, alerting, fav-ing and just liking my story… Love you guys! God Bless… _


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Skip Beat! And its characters…

_I'm so sorry for the VERY late update… When I went to copy the last paragraph of the last chapter, I noticed last chapter was updated valentine's day… it's already been more than two months… I really am so sorry. So without anymore annoying babble from me, please continue to read on and… Enjoy! ^_^_

"But when I was wandering around looking for a more meaningful job, a King in white horse noticed my potential. Oh, Taisho-san, it's because of the Katsura-muki technique you taught me. And when I was helping an actress, she suddenly offered me a chance for a big role of an Ojou-sama. And all I learned from you Okami-san was greatly appreciated." Kyoko said sweetly. Then, her eyes showed love and happiness as she looked at the couple in front of her. "That's why I want to thank you very much for caring for me and raising me so good-naturedly." She deeply bowed to the Fuwa couple for a full minute and rose back up again. Her cheeks tainted pink and she smiled the most angelic smile Kuon had ever seen her made. It was breath taking and he was not the only one who was affected by it.

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 6:

_Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements,_

_Even if it leads nowhere…_

_**~Tokyo, 1 day and 1 hour ago 9:30 AM, 25**__**th**__** of December~**_

Yashiro checked his watch again and looked around for any sign of Ren's silver car. There was nothing. Due to his anxiousness, he pulled out his phone without his gloves. He pressed and hold number three in his speed dial and put the phone on his ear. He tapped his foot on the ground impatiently as he waited for the phone to start ringing Ren's phone. But nothing happened. He looked at his phone and saw it dead. He looked at his hand and saw there was no glove. He cursed himself mentally. He put the dead phone inside his trouser pockets and then pulled out gloves from his inside jacket pocket. He pulled it on and rummage inside his bag for his spare phone.

It took several agonizing minutes for it to power on and ready to use. He looked around again for Ren's car, but there was still nothing. He got his address book out and dialed Ren's phone again. But it just kept on ringing and going to voicemail. He tried it five times more before he gave up. He searched for LME's phone number and called the office. It took a good fifteen minutes before he was patched through to the president.

"Hello, Yashiro?" The president greeted.

"Good morning, President. I'm sorry for disturbing you, I just want to ask you if you know where Ren is." Yashiro asked as politely as he could.

"Why? He's not with you? I thought he has jobs even on Christmas." The president replied.

"I know, we're going to be late for his job this morning. He has not arrived yet. He told me yesterday, he's coming by at 9 sharp but until now he still hasn't arrived." Yashiro explained worriedly to the president. "I tried his phone six times but it just keeps on ringing and goes to voicemail."

There was a moment of silence as Lory processed what Yashiro just said before he replied. It was so not like Ren to be late or a no-show. "Alright, take care of Ren's schedule for now. I'll let Sebastian go to Ren's apartment."

_**~Back to Present…~**_

Ren looked at the ceiling of the room they were in. He laid his back, from his sitting position while they were looking at the pictures, on the mattress he woke up on several minutes ago. But it felt to him like several hours because of the new information he just saw. It was like all his dream and fantasy came true but without him knowing it came true. The pictures, every single one of them, were perfect. It was romantic, dream-like fantasy that came out from fairytale books, especially the wedding pictures and some. He remembered the video he took earlier and saw a glimpse of what had happened after their wedding. It would have been so magical with all the rose petals and million candle lights twinkling like stars.

_And what came after…_ Ren thought before he slammed on the breaks of his train of thoughts. He did not want to think about that. But he could not stopped himself. His eyes found the frozen Kyoko in her sitting position beside him. His eyes roamed her delectable body, especially lingering on her exposed skin on her arms and neck and her pink lips. His mind imagining how they would have tasted. He groaned inwardly and forced his eyes close.

It was so cruel. Really cruel. His dream came true, only to be forgotten. It was like giving a child a lollipop and taking it away before he/she could taste the surprise center. _Argh! Bad analogy! _He shouted mentally when pictures of Kyoko he did not want to see came to his head. But his lungs were filled by the scent on the rumpled sheets of what they had done the night fueled his mind. He shoot up straight into standing from the bed in mere seconds. He shook himself from the bewitching spell of his imagination. _Right now, I should focus on finding out what really happened. Where we've been. Do some damage control. _He thought concentrating on thinking like professional Ren. _It's time we leave. _

"Ts-tsuruga-san?" Kyoko called him. He looked down at her. She looked worriedly at him. She was startled awake when Ren suddenly stood up and then stood there frowning and releasing his dark aura. "A-are you okay? Does your head still hurt?"

"Ah… Yeah! I'm fine. My head's fine." Ren replied. _Except for it imagining things about you. _His inner voice added dryly. He shook his head again to stop it. He licked his lips as he hesitated in voicing out his plan. "Mogami-san, I-uh… I know, it's a lot to take in but… I think it will help if we try to retrace our steps, find out what really happened and…" He swallowed some saliva through his dry throat. "And decide what to do from there."

Kyoko only stared at him and Ren felt nervous every second that passed. "Is that okay with you?" He prompted. After a few seconds, Kyoko nodded her head and Ren released the breath he unknowingly held. "Alright." He offered her a small smile and then looked serious again. "Ah! I hate to remind you this but, everyone here knows we're married and… I think it's best to act like we're a married couple when we go out there. Is it alright with you?"

Kyoko cutely turned all red and lowered her head to hide her face. But she eventually nodded in agreement. Ren found it adorable and he felt an urged to kiss her, his new wife. Ren tried not to think about that little detail because he did not want to delude himself of that idea. Once he really acknowledge that, he knew his mind would assume he had the right to do the things he wanted to do to her. And he did not want to scare her even more than their situation already has.

_**~Tokyo, 23 hours ago at 10:00 AM, 25**__**th**__** of December~**_

Yashiro was already inside the president's office. He took a cab to LME while he made calls to reschedule Ren's appointments. Three hours since he woke up and he already said too many apologies and he still has a long list of someone he has to apologize to. He was startled when the president's cell phone rang.

"Sebastian?" The president said without any greeting. "What? Hold on, let me put you on speaker first." He pushed the button and put his phone on the coffee table between him and Yashiro.

"So, Ren's not in his apartment?" The president asked.

"Yes, sir." Sebastian answered on the other line. "I checked the basement parking first when I arrived and Ren's car wasn't on his spot. I checked the entire basement but it wasn't there. His apartment's clean as usual except for the bathroom. And his bed looked like it hasn't been slept in but the guest bedroom's bed was rumpled. I found his phone here, too."

"What happened to the bathroom?" Yashiro asked curiously.

"I saw bottles of temporary hairspray dye on the floor. Five in gold blonde and three in black. They sprayed some on the wall, the mirror, the counter." Sebastian reported his observations.

"They dyed their hair?" Yashiro asked confusedly.

"That means they made it to Ren's apartment last night." Lory concluded. "But where could they have gone?"

There was only silence because nobody knew the answer to Lory's question. It was so unlike Ren and Kyoko. Both of them were so professional. They would not leave without letting anyone know and especially skipping on their jobs.

"Uhm… Sir?" Sebastian called out.

"What is it?" Lory asked in reply.

"I opened his secret safe. Some of the contents were gone." Sebastian said gravely.

"What contents?" Lory asked immediately in alarm.

"His real passport, ATM card and some other important documents." Sebastian replied. Lory was even more alarmed. "But it didn't seem like someone broke into it, so I think he personally took it with him."

The last information was a relief from a worst identity revelation to the media. Lory was surprised when he heard that Ren has dyed his hair back to blonde when he was obviously with Kyoko. Although he was thankful that he finally was one step closer to confessing his feelings to the girl. But why would he disappear with his real name's passport and ATM card? Lory had a bad feeling about all of it.

"Thanks, Sebastian." Lory said. "You can lock up and come back here. I want you to call our connections to the Narita airport and ask if his name comes up for international flights."

"Yes, sir." Sebastian replied and hung up.

"Uhm… President? W-why would Ren go out of the country?" Yashiro asked worriedly. "W-where would he go? I-is Kyoko with him?"

_**~Back to Present…~**_

Kyoko and Ren were at the entrance of the Tanaka Ryokan bidding goodbye to the Okami, Taisho and other waitresses. They were both standing side by side. Ren's arm was wrapped around her waist to show all the people there that there was nothing wrong with the situation. The Okami held both Kyoko's hands in hers as she smiled warmly at them.

"It's been a pleasure having you two here and an honor that you chose this place for an important event of your lives. Congratulations!" The Okami said in a voice filled with happiness. "Love each other always… That's the secret to happiness." She advised them. Kyoko blushed red in embarrassment. "Take good care of each other." She looked at Ren and he nodded sincerely. The Okami finally let go of Kyoko's hands as she stepped back from the couple. "Come back again." She bid them farewell with an elegant bow.

Ren and Kyoko expressed their solemn gratitude as they bowed in response. Then, one of the waitress came back and told them that their things were already inside the trunk of the taxi waiting for them. They waved goodbye and slid one by one into the backseat of the cab.

The driver, who was an old man in his late forties, looked at them on his rearview mirror and recognized them. "Hey, we met again." The driver said to them in a cheerful tone. "So, you two on your way to your honeymoon?" He asked. Ren and Kyoko looked at the driver and then looked at each other. "What? You don't remember me?" The driver asked in surprise. "Well, that's to be expected I guess, you two only had eyes for each other yesterday. Hands, too." He laughed.

Kyoko looked confuse as her sluggish mind slowly digest what the driver just told them. Ren who caught on immediately to what the driver meant about their eyes and especially about their hands, blushed lightly that made the driver laughed some more. At the sound of the drivers' laughter again, Ren composed himself and his mind began working again.

"So, you drove us to one of our destinations yesterday?" Ren asked.

"Not just one, my boy. I drove you all around all day." The old man informed him. "You paid me for the entire day. Don't you remember?"

Ren was silent for a moment as he processed the new information he just heard. "Not really." He answered. "My memory's a little fuzzy about yesterday, actually. So, we're feeling really lucky that you're the one who came here again today." Ren sighed a breath of relief inside because they did not know where to begin in retracing their steps. But now that they found a person who knew where they went yesterday was a miracle. So, he jumped on the opportunity. "Actually, we were going to go to where we went yesterday, just to make sure everything's alright with the payments and to thank them for their help in our impromptu wedding." Ren was improvising just to get the driver to take them to where they went yesterday.

"Sure. No problem, son, I remember all of them." The old man assured him. "As long as you pay me." He said teasingly. He knew that they would pay him just like yesterday.

"Of course, we'll pay you." Ren smiled his fake smile.

"So, where to first?"

"I need to go to the bank first and then to a store to get something to change into. Then, we can start from the last place we went to all the way to the first place." Ren replied.

The driver nodded and the cab pulled away from the ryokan. On their way to the bank, Ren asked the driver subtly about where they went yesterday just enough not to raise any suspicions. Kyoko sat stiff beside Ren and was just silently listening to their conversation, slowly digesting the information about what they had done yesterday. She did not know why exactly but she was so aware of Ren and even though they were sitting on each end of the back seat, he still was several inches away. Ren was just big and he occupied nearly half the backseat. Even more when he was leaning towards her so that he could talk to the driver closer. She wondered how he could fit into his tiny car. She could barely understand what they were talking as her skin prickled in awareness for the man beside her. She did not even understand what she was feeling.

Later, they stopped by the bank where Ren went inside and Kyoko was left with the driver. Kyoko could breath again and started to relax a little only to blush in embarrassment again when the driver commented that she was so quiet and told her that she was not like that yesterday, that she was so excited and could not wait to get married to her young handsome husband yesterday. She was so bewildered by the thought that she started screaming mentally about what she was thinking yesterday. And when Ren returned, she was even more conscious of the man.

Finally, they arrived at a clothing store. Kyoko took in a deep breath and released it in a sigh as Ren left her to explore the men's section. She mindlessly began walking and looking at the clothes in the rack but her mind was busy thinking of reasons why she could hardly wait to marry Ren yesterday. It was just mind-boggling. She was startled when a hand wound around her waist. She jumped as she turned to looked at her attacker and tried to get away but the hand held her tightly. She found it was Ren and her body just relaxed right away.

"Have you found anything you like?" Ren asked with a genuine smile that always blinded her. But instead, she felt warm inside… and tingly… and she felt confused. "It's cold outside, you need a coat." Ren said as he ushered her to a rack with coats in it. He skimmed through it, took one and held it up for her to see. "What about this?"

It was a really cute coat. It was a loose coat, really light pink in color with white fur on the hood and sleeves. Ren thought it would really look cute on Kyoko. And she was clearly fascinated by it by the look on her face. Ren dragged her to the fitting rooms and shoved her into one of the stalls with the coat. Ren also went into one and changed into the ones he picked. He dressed quickly and went out. Kyoko was already outside wearing her coat. Just like he imagined, she looked really cute wrapped in a pink bundle of her coat with the white furs highlighting her look. Right then, he wanted to wrap her in his embrace and put butterfly kisses on her face. He clenched his fist in restraint.

"You look really cute in it." He complimented her with a smile. "Kind of like red riding hood." _And I'm the wolf… _Ren added himself dryly amused. He watched her blushed at his compliment and saw her lips curved into a small smile.

"How do I look?" He asked with a raised eyebrow as he watched her looked him up and down.

"You look good. You always look good in any clothes you wear, Tsuruga-san." She said honestly with a light blush. _And out of it, too. _A voice in her mind echoed and she froze.

_A short memory played on her mind. Ren was dressed in the black tuxedo he just changed out of. He also asked her how he looked when he got out of the changing room. She was in front of him looking him up and down and liking what she saw. She heard herself reply, "You look really handsome… just like a prince!" She said as she smoothed the lapels of his jacket with her two hands and then rested it on his shoulders. Her lips curved into a sexy smile and her eyes glittered of desire as she continued. "But I think you look even more handsome out of it, too."_

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><p><em>Soooo? Is it good? Do you like it? Hope you did… I'm so sorry for the late update… It's extra long to make up for it... This was fun, I had fun writing it. Finally the story's moving and getting exciting… I want to get them out of Kyoto and go back to Tokyo fast but it's fun to write all their reactions, not just Ren and Kyoko but also the ones who were left in Tokyo who had no idea what happened. Thank you so much guys for all the support in reading, reviewing, alerting, fav-ing and just liking my story. I really appreciate it… Love you guys, see yah next chap… ^_^ <em>


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Skip Beat! And its characters..

_Sorry for the typos and grammatical errors down there. I went camping last weekend so I was busy last week in preparation and couldn't finished it before going… anyways, enjoy reading! ^_^_

A little recap…

"You look good. You always look good in any clothes you wear, Tsuruga-san." She said honestly with a light blush. And out of it, too. A voice in her mind echoed and she froze.

_A short memory played on her mind. Ren was dressed in the black tuxedo he just changed out of. He also asked her how he looked when he got out of the changing room. She was in front of him looking him up and down and liking what she saw. She heard herself reply, "You look really handsome… just like a prince!" She said as she smoothed the lapels of his jacket with her two hands and then rested it on his shoulders. Her lips curved into a sexy smile and her eyes glittered of desire as she continued. "But I think you look even more handsome out of it, too."_

**The Great Escape:**

Chapter 7

_Over the line can't define what I'm after_

_I always turn the car around…_

_**~10:00 AM - Present…~ **_

After they paid for their clothes, they immediately went to the last place they went to. The taxi pulled up in front of a bridal store. They went inside and was greeted by a middle aged woman.

"Welcome to our store. How may I-" The woman stopped when she recognized them. "Oh! It's you two! Congratulations!"

"Good morning." Ren greeted the woman.

Kyoko only stood frozen when she recognized the inside of the shop. She was staring at the closed door of the fitting room. That was the setting of that little flashback she had a while ago at the store. It just finally hit her that that little flashback really happened. _I really acted like that? NOOO! _Kyoko shouted inside her head. _No way! _

While Kyoko was busy inside her head, the two people carried on with their conversation.

"Thank you for helping us yesterday! In our impromptu wedding." Ren said.

"Oh no, it was nothing. I was glad to be of help." The woman replied. "So, did the dress and suit survived the night?" She asked with a sly smile.

Ren blinked. "What?" He asked and then caught on to what she was asking. _Why the hell is everybody talking to us like we were two sex-crazed teenagers? _He shouted in his head.

_**~Tokyo, 20 hours ago at 2:00 PM, 25**__**th**__** of December~**_

"Sir, his name wasn't in the international flights or even in domestic flights." Sebastian informed his boss of his findings.

"Hmmm…" Lory absorbed the information. It was just a guess, so he did not really expected much from it. _But best to cover all the bases… _And at that thought he remembered what Yashiro asked him a while ago. "What about Mogami-kun's?"

"I took the initiative to add her name, Sir. But still nothing."

"What about her phone?" Yashiro asked. "You didn't find any of Kyoko's stuff in his apartment right?"

"Track her phone. It's a company phone so that should be easy." Lory commanded Sebastian and then turned to Yashiro. "Good job, Yashiro."

Two hours later, Sebastian called Lory to inform him of his findings.

"Sebastian, did you find them?" Lory said as he answered his phone.

"Unfortunately no, sir." Sebastian replied. "I'm currently outside of a towing company. It seems that Ren's car got towed."

"What? Did they get into an accident?" Lory exclaimed worriedly.

Yashiro looked at the president in shock. It was one thing to hear that his charge and his charge's lady love might have been involved in a car accident and completely another to see and hear the president so worried and nearly in a panic. He had not seen the president that worried before. Sure, he had seen him panic over trivial things but this, this was serious panic and not just you'll-ruin-my-costume-of-the-day panic.

"The people inside think it was not so, sir." Sebastian replied. "They said the car looked totally fine when it was brought in. But they would not tell me any more info unless I show them car registrations and pay them to retrieve the car."

"Well, then do it." For the first time in many years, Takarada Lory snapped.

"I am currently on my way to Ren's apartment to get a copy of his car registration and spare keys, sir. I will report back what I will find as soon as I possibly can." And Sebastian hang up.

Lory heaved a heavy sigh. He walked to his mini liquor bar and pour himself a glass of hard liquor. He needed it to get a grip on himself. The thought that Ren and Kyoko might have been involved in a car accident shook him. It would all be his responsibility. And there would be two people who would surely kill him or slowly roast him naked in an open fire if anything happened to their beloved son. This not-knowing-what-happened-to-them thing is really getting to him.

_**~Back to present… 11:00 AM~ **_

Ren and Kyoko got out of the cab and went into a jewelry store which the taxi driver pointed to them was the place they went to yesterday before the bridal shop. They already took care of business with the bridal shop. They found out that Ren already paid for the dress and not merely rented it. Ren easily persuaded the woman to take a picture with his wife, Kyoko, as a remembrance for their wedding album. Kyoko finally woke up from his shock of realizing that her flashback really happened and somehow managed a smile for the camera. The woman gave them business her card for their album and for future purposes.

As they walked the short distance to the entrance of the store, Ren unconsciously put his hand on her back to guide her. The hair on the back of Kyoko's neck all stood up in awareness of the man. But she also felt a pleasant electric thrill down her spine. In her mind, her body's reaction was very confusing, especially when her body does not listen to her brain. The Kyoko before that forgotten night would have stood stiffly beside the tall, handsome man. But now, her body was slowly relaxing in his arms. Why in the world was that? But her mind went blank when they finally got in. Everything her eyes seemed to laid on was sparkling and glittering and shimmering. She was La La Land, Jewels and Gems version.

When Ren noticed her reaction, he could not hide the warm smile that automatically graced his lips. A sales lady greeted them and Ren replied in kind. One of the salesman inside the shop recognized them and went to them.

"Good morning, Hizuri-san." He greeted and Ren replied in kind again. "I'm Sakihara Jin, we met yesterday. Is everything alright with the items you bought yesterday?"

"Oh, hi." Ren replied. "No. no, everything is alright. Fits perfectly." As Ren showed the man his hand with the wedding band on.

"Congratulations!" Jin said and then went to work mode. "So are you here to buy another gift for your new wife? We have new necklace and earrings arrivals."

"Oh, no." Ren refused politely with a smile. "We're actually here to make sure everything was paid. It was a whirlwind yesterday, we could not remember most of the preparations." Ren smiled shyly.

Jin's smile widened in understanding. "Yeah, I saw." He said with a chuckle. "But not to worry, you already paid it all in full."

_**Paid it all in full… **_The phrase caught in Kyoko's ears and went straight to her brain which woke her up from her La La Land: Jewel and Gems adventure. Something clicked in her head and she looked at the salesman. "Exactly how much did he pay?" Kyoko suddenly asked the man. When the man replied with an amount of too many zeros for Kyoko's mind's eye to imagine, she nearly fainted.

Thankfully, Ren caught her. The salesman looked worriedly at Kyoko but Ren assured him she was okay. Understanding the situation, Jin went away to give them a little moment for themselves. When Kyoko finally caught her breath and could finally get the strength to stand on her own, she pulled away from Ren's embrace.

"Ren!" Kyoko hissed, unconsciously using his first name, as she continued in a whisper so that nobody could hear. "It's too much! I could not even possibly pay it full with interest in years even if I land three roles at a time!" She then went to take off the rings on her finger.

"Kyoko, stop it." Ren stopped her slender fingers from taking off the rings. "It's already been paid."

"They could refund it." Kyoko argued. "We only used it for one night."

"You can't return and get a refund for jewelries." Ren argued back. "And even if they do, what would it looked like? That we only borrowed it for one night for our wedding?" Kyoko froze at that. Ren sighed. "And we still haven't solved this. We agreed that we will decide what to do, after we figure out what really happened yesterday." Kyoko was silent for a moment and then nodded.

"Good." Ren said and kissed her forehead. Kyoko immediately blushed red and looked down to hide her face with her hair. Ren smiled at her cute reaction. "Alright, now will have to get a picture with Sakihara-san and get this store's business card. Then, we're off."

_**~Tokyo, 17 hours ago at 5:00 PM, 25**__**th**__** of December~**_

"Sebastian?" Lory answered, already on speaker phone for Yashiro to hear too.

"Sir, I already retrieved Ren's car and I'm heading to where the people in the towing company said they picked up the car." Sebastian reported. "The car is totally fine both inside and out. I found Mogami-sama's purse with her phone inside. Nothing was stolen as I can see and the car itself, I can say, was not stolen either. Mogami-sama's mountainous gifts are in the trunk and backseat."

"Where did they say the car was left?" Lory asked.

"They said, it was illegally parked on for disabled parking space only and they did not pay for a whole day parking. The parking lot only let a half hour free parking, so it got towed." Sebastian explained to them. "It was parked near the Tokyo station."

"Tokyo station?" Yashiro exclaimed. "They could have gone anywhere if they did took the train! That station has a lot of lines running through!"

Before Sebastian or Lory could react to Yashiro's outburst, they heard a phone rang. Yashiro looked at his phone but it was not ringing. Then, Lory and Yashiro heard a screeching sound from the other line and then shuffling noises.

"Sir, it seems that Mogami-sama's phone is ringing." He informed them. "Should I answer it?"

"Who is it?" Lory asked.

"It says here, Mo…Moko-san."Sebastian read the caller ID.

"Go ahead." Lory replied. Then Sebastian hit the answer button and the loud speaker button for the other two to hear who was calling Kyoko. It may give them a clue to the whereabouts of Ren and Kyoko.

"MOOOOO! KYOKO!" A loud angry voice shouted from the other end. "I've been trying to call you for the past hour! Where in the world are you? You said you wanted to spend Christmas with me after work. I've been waiting here in your room for the past hour. The Okami told me that they didn't even notice you came back last night."

"Kotonami-san?" Yashiro said questioningly as they heard the loud tirade coming from Kyoko's phone.

Sebastian didn't know what to say, so Kanae only heard silence on the other end. "Kyoko? Hello? Are you there? MO! What is going on?"

The president sighed. "Sebastian, ask her where she is. Go pick her up and get her here in my office ASAP. I don't want anyone knowing what's happened."

Half an hour later, Kanae was sitting beside Yashiro in the president's office.

"Oi! Glases boy, what is going on?" Kanae demanded to Yashiro. "Where is Kyoko? What happened to her?"

Yashiro cringed at the frustrated woman a couple feet away beside him. "Ca-alm down, Kotonami-san."

"Calm down? You want me to calm down?" Kotonami exclaimed in disbelief. "How can I calm down when some stranger answered my best friend's phone and asked me where I am only to drag me here without any explanations? I don't even know where Kyoko is? Is she even alright?"

"Okay, okay… Breathe, Kotonami-san. Just take a deep breath for a second." Yashiro grabbed both of her shoulders and tried to calm down the hysterical woman. "We will explain it to you in a minute, so just take a moment to breathe."

Kanae glared at him for a minute before she settled back down on her seat. The President finally came back from his talk with Sebastian and he sat back down across the two of them.

"Now, Kotonami-san. Don't panic yet." The president assured her. "We think that Ren is with her, so she should be okay. They left the villa together last night and it seemed that they didn't made it to Kyoko's home. But they did made it to Ren's apartment. We found evidence that they dyed there hair there and then they drove near Tokyo station. That's where Ren's car was parked and Mogami-kun's purse was found in the car. Right now, we're trying to figure out why they parked there. Sebastian is on his way there now to check out the surroundings."

_**~Back to present… 12:00 PM~ **_

Ren and Kyoko stood and looked at the building in front of them. The taxi stopped in front of it and the old driver told them that it was really that building they had went into yesterday. The building was one of Kyoto's ward offices. Ren read the name of the building and gulped. Kyoko stood still in shock. They just realized the extent of what the two of them had forgotten they had done yesterday. They finally realized that their situation was really serious and apparently very LEGAL. The only hope they wanted to cling to was the fact that Kyoko could not marry legally without parental consent.

After that frozen moment of uncertainty and fear, Ren firmly placed his arm around her waist as he pulled her close to him in assurance and made their way to the door of the building. Inside, they did not know where to go, so they just went to one of the windows and ask the person behind it.

"Hello, how may I help you?" Asked the person behind the booth window.

"Hi, uhm…." Ren paused, not really sure what to reply. "Uh, we were here yesterdays. We, uh, just wanted to confirm something."

"What do you want to confirm, sir?" Replied the older woman who was on the other side of the window.

"We want to confirm our… marriage registration." Ren finally replied. Ren then took out his camera from his pocket and powered it on. "We have a picture of someone who looks like he may work here." Ren continued as he quickly browse through the pictures to find the right one. "Here it is." He said after a few minutes when he finally found it and then showed it to the old woman behind the counter.

"Oh, Fujiwara-san. Yes, he works here." She replied to them. "Oh, you must be the young lovey-dovey couple he talked about yesterday." The two were silent as Kyoko blushed at the mention of lovey-dovey and Ren just stared at the older woman.

"Yeah, I… guess…" Ren finally answered when the older woman just looked at them, too, waiting for their confirmation.

"I see…" She murmured as she continue to stare at the two of them. "You have to come back later. Fujiwara-san is on his lunch break right now. He won't be back for about an hour." The woman informed them and then sighed. "You, youngster, these days really can't wait to do it, huh?"

Ren instantly turned tomato red, while Kyoko looked confused as she was still in the process of understanding the older woman's statement. _SERIOUSLY! _He shouted in his head. _Why the hell are all the people we meet ask questions like that? Are all newlyweds subjected to these kinds of questions and innuendos? _

* * *

><p><em>Well, I hope you enjoyed it coz I certainly enjoyed writing it. I like torturing Ren and Kyoko… hehe ^_^ It's just fun, I can't help it… I think that is the whole reason of me writing this story…LOL Sooo, you know a little of the places they went to and it should give you a little glimpse of what they had done on Christmas day and Kyoko's birthday. Let see next chapter if they really are legally married. What do you think guys?<em>

_Anyways, thanks for all the support through reading, reviewing, alerting and favorites… I really appreciate it guys and hope to see you next chap… ^_^_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Skip Beat! And its characters... I only own my mind, my thoughts and my crazy ideas... ^_^

_Excuse my poor English grammar and typos... I hope you enjoy another chappie of my story... ^_^_

**The Great Escape:**

Chapter 8

_It's now or never!_

_Time to decide… If it's worth the fight_

_Or letting it slide_

_**~Tokyo, 16 hours ago at 8:00 PM, 25th of December…~**_

Sebastian called to inform Lory that he found nothing new or any clue as to why they were there but for only one reason: to take the train going somewhere. That somewhere, they don't know. So he informed Lory he was going back to Ren's apartment to investigate some more.

Two hours later, he was back in the president's office carrying boxes. He produced five laptops on the coffee table in front of them. Then, five DVDs. "These are the original copies of the surveillance videos that they should be caught in. I surveyed only five cameras in their route. Two in the basement parking, two for each elevators, since I don't know which one they got on, and one in the hallway outside Ren's apartment door." He explained. "I apparently cannot do it alone sir, since you want to keep this quite from everyone else. The surveillance in the complex is one DVD per camera for each month. Right now, each DVD contains about 600 minutes. So I need help reviewing it and capture the part of the events that night so we can find clues as to where they went."

"We are apparently short on staff." Kanae commented as she got her laptop and turned it on.

"Sebastian, call Sawara-san. He's currently Mogami-kun's manager, I think he should know." Lory ordered him. "And Yashiro put on five gloves on each hand. I don't want you damaging the only hope we have on finding them. And we will find them because if we don't, you are all going to die with me."

Yashiro and Kanae shivered in fear. Their president was not joking when he said that last sentence. He was completely serious with a scary face. The three went ahead in reviewing the DVDs and Yashiro was grateful when Sebastian gave him a USB mouse to use because he could not possibly operate the laptop with his gloved hands, especially five of them.

Ten minutes later, Sawara arrived. When he found out the grave situation, he was seriously worried but much determined to help with anything. Even if he thought his number one love me charge was weirdest of the weirdest, spooky and he could not understand her but he grew to care about her and would not wish for anything bad to happen to her, be it career-wise or personally.

Kanae got the DVD for the parking lot. They opened it at a video splitter or cutter software as was instructed by Sebastian, so that they could split the video Kyoko and Ren where in and saved it as another file and were access it more easily and faster. Kanae fast forward the video as she began reviewing it for clues of the two of them. But early on the third of December, she paused the video when she caught a glimpse of that all too familiar figure of her best friend. She wondered what her best friend was doing there. But she forced it to the back of her mind to think of more pressing and important stuff for the time being. But before she proceeded, she split that part of when Kyoko and Ren got out of his car and went to the direction of the elevators.

Two hours after, the two appeared on screen again getting in the car and drove off. It was smooth sailing through after that. She only saw the tall famous actor and other tenants who was caught on video. But on the seventeenth, she saw Kyoko again getting inside Ren's car and they drove off. _I didn't see her came __in __with him. How did she got there?_ _And just how many times does she go__to that Tsuruga Ren's place? Is she keeping their relationship __from __me? _Kanae thought angrily. She cut the video again to show to that dense girl when she would ask her the truth about her relationship with that giant actor. When they would finally find her.

_**~Back to Present… 2:30 PM~**_

Kyoko and Ren sat silently side by side on the backseat of the same taxi cab. They were now going to the very first stop, except for the bank, they went to yesterday. The Fuwa Ryokan. But that was not why they were so silent. They were silent because they were shock. An hour and a half ago, they went back to the branch office and finally met Fujiwara-san. He gave them the documents they had left yesterday and told them to get their 'Certificate of Acceptance of Notification of Marriage' at the Municipal office. There was not many people there after Christmas and they got it quickly. Kyoko was in shock and did not notice much when Ren paid for all of the copies. He got one copy in big parchment and one in small. When they mentioned that they wanted to thank all of the people who helped them in their wedding, Fujiwara-san gave them the address and phone number of the Minister who performed at their wedding. It was a little sigh of relief about that but when they got the proof of their actions yesterday, it was a lot of a bigger shock than they had anticipated.

Kyoko read and reread it all over again for the twentieth time but she was still not able to believe in it. **Husband: Hizuri Kuon. **She read and under it was his date of birth. She saw her name written as the **wife **above her birthday, which was just yesterday and she could not even remember.

**The notification of marriage of the above-named parties was submitted with the signatures of witnesses. **It mentioned the names of two people she did not know and then she continued again. **Whereupon this office, after due examination, duly accepted the notification on 2012 December 25. **

And the last sentence that sealed their fate. **Therefore, the marriage is hereby established. **

_Established… _Echoed in Kyoko's mind. They were truly and legally married, no matter how much she thought of reasons or excuses, such as she was not able to marry without parental consent and no information about her mother's whereabouts. Even if she argued with anyone, that large parchment negated all of it. Because for a non-breathing, lifeless piece of parchment, it held more argument, proof and authority than she could ever present to anyone, even to herself.

Kyoko looked out the window and saw the familiar surroundings and knew that they were almost there. She knew these roads even what was beyond the mass of trees. Something clicked in her mind she shouted for the driver to stop. "Stop! Stop the car."

The car screeched to a halt and Kyoko ran out without a word. "Kyoko!" Ren called after her worriedly. "Please go ahead to the Ryokan. Order some food and tea. My treat." After that he ran off after his officially and legally beloved wife. "Kyoko, wait!" He called again but Kyoko did not slow down and just kept on running and running until they reached that beautiful clearing. She reached the middle of the clearing and her knees suddenly gave way and she sat on the ground and began sobbing her heart out.

Ren flew to her side as soon as he heard the sobbing. It was painful to hear and it sounded like she could not get enough air or somebody squeezed her heart out. He knelt down in front of her and held her close. "Hey... Hey... Kyoko." He said as he brushed out locks of hair that were blocking her face and cupped her cheeks with both hands.

"Kyoko, look at me." He searched her eyes but her vision was blurred in tears and she was too distracted by her pain and confusion. "Look at me." He said again, more pleading. "Hey, I'm here... Kyoko, I'm here for you. And I, I'm very much sorry that I caused this much pain to you." He said in a voice filled with agony.

"But we can't undo it. It's already done. But I'm here to do anything... Anything that would make it more... bearable for you." He continued to comfort and assure her. "I'll be here to comfort you, to care for you, to protect you, to cheer you up, make you smile. Just like before, remember? I'll be you fairy prince Corn if you want me to. I'll fly for you. I'll listen to everything you say or complain about. And I won't ever leave you again..." He looked at her with such sincerity and intensity. "I will never leave you... Ever."

Ren brushed away her tears with his thumb. Ren wanted her to stop crying but his words made her sobbed more violently than before. So, he held her close, rubbed her back, kissed the top of her head in silent comfort. A while later, she finally calmed down but neither one of them moved an inch from their position. But Ren could not bear it anymore, he pulled away just to look at her face to see if she was feeling okay now. Her eyes were red, cheeks tear-stained and she was softly nibbling her lower lip. He wanted to kiss those lips, kiss all the tears and pain away. But he stopped himself, because it was not about his feelings, it was about hers.

"Kyoko." Ren called her name again to make her look at him and listen to him because she was avoiding his eyes. "I'm here for you. No matter what happens, I'll be here for you. We'll get through this together, okay? I'll be with you every step of the way. I won't let anything happen or hurt you. It's going to be okay. D'you understand?"

Kyoko finally looked looked him in the eyes. Her eyes showed the turmoil she was feeling inside her. Ren understood what she was feeling and wanted to comfort her even more. But he was afraid to give her anything to be confused about and doubtful if she was in any condition to make important decisions. But no matter what circumstances they were going to be in, he was determined to protect her, her feelings and her future. "Kyoko, I know you are confused right now..." He started again slowly, hesitating. "But we have to accept... What happened... And what we did yesterday. We _**are**_ married. There's no use denying it. For reasons we cannot remember, we did that yesterday and from what people had been telling us we wanted it." His softened eyes looked at her and she felt guilty for acting like she was the only one with the problem. "Kyoko, you're my wife now. And I'm your husband... Is that really so bad?"

"NO!" Kyoko finally found her voice. "I-I, I mean... I"m just so confused right now. I can't think! I-I-I-I woke up naked feeling like my head was going to explode. And realizing I can't remember what I did yesterday. And now I find out that we got married. Legally!" She rambled on. "It's just too much for me... I-I'm sorry..."

"I know... I know..." Ren said in gentle comfort as he brushed his fingers through her hair. "We can make sense of these things when we get back to Tokyo, okay? It doesn't have to be now. Right now, I just need you to look okay for the Fuwas. We're professional actors, we can do it. And we don't want them thinking that we are already having trouble just hours after our marriage. I might get stabbed with the Taisho's knife." Ren said with a small smile. Kyoko blushed at the mention of marriage and was not able to help her lips from curving into a shy smile at his little joke, which was very likely to happen. "We will just talk to them, thank them for whatever they did for us yesterday and we will be on our way home. Does that sound good?"

Kyoko nodded and lowered her head to hide her face. Ren placed a light kiss on her hair and drew her close in his arms again.

_**~Tokyo, 9 hours ago at 6:00AM, 26th of December~**_

Kanae and Sawara was hunched over the coffee table asleep. They fell asleep about halfway through. Yashiro, Sebastian and Lory were still wide awake all through the night. Lory was already used to not sleeping because Lory could stay up all night for his dating sims games, or replay of his favorite romance drama series and anything pertaining to love. He got also the motivation from fear of being haunted by two famous actor and model of the world. Sebastian had Lory as a boss, so he was used to it too. Yashiro was a little used to it because of Ren's schedule but he had the help of three pots of coffee and the power worry of what might have happened to Kyoko and Ren. But, at last they were finally finished. Sebastian organized all the videos clips that they cut out from each DVDs and put it in chronological order, even the clips of Kyoko and Ren before that night.

The first one was the clip that Kanae first noticed. On the third of December, Saturday at nine in the evening, Ren and Kyoko arrived at his apartment. They rode elevator number one that Yashiro worked on and got off the floor where Ren's apartment was located. They went inside and then two hours later came out. Got on elevator number two, the DVD Sebastian got, then went to Ren's car and assumed he drove Kyoko home.

The second was on the seventeenth of December, Saturday at half past ten, Kyoko was seen riding elevator number two up to Ren's floor alone. And to everyone's (that was awake and watching) surprise, went inside Ren's apartment with her very own key. When Lory saw that clip for the very first time, he gasped in surprise. His eyes sparkled in happiness as his imagination ran wild with reasons why Kyoko has her own key to Ren's apartment. An hour later, Ren arrived and went inside. And two hours after, they came out and Ren drove Kyoko home again.

Finally, it was the clips from last night. They watched Ren hurriedly and clumsily parked his car on his spot. Three minutes later, he got out and opened Kyoko's door which was unusual because they knew that Kyoko usually did not wait for Ren to open her door. She usually got out on her own. They watch Ren extended his hand to help her get out of the car. And when Kyoko finally got out, they watch stunned when Kyoko firmly hugged one of Ren's arm as they made their way to the elevators. After a few steps, Ren scooped her up and carried her princess style. But the scene in the elevators has left them even more shocked. They got a closer look at the two. They saw Kyoko snuggled into Ren's neck and also saw how he gritted his teeth and his jaw flexed and seemed to be set in stone. They got out of the elevator and went inside his apartment. After a while, they got out with Kyoko still stuck to Ren's arm. They went up to the store, went back down and went into his apartment again. Almost an hour later, they came out again with their new look. Upon closer look in the elevator number two camera, Lory knew he was looking at Kuon, blonde hair and blue eyes. Kyoko also looked different in her black hair. The two looked completely different from their usual selves. And they watched them hurriedly slid into Ren's car and drove off.

There was silence for a few minutes after watching all the clips. Lory, Yashiro and Sebastian's minds were quietly turning and processing what they saw. It was confusing. They thought at first that Kyoko was tired and sleepy. That's why Ren went to his place instead of driving Kyoko home because it was closer. Maybe Ren wanted to let Kyoko and himself to rest in the nearest comfortable bed since they both had work the day after. But it did not explain why they went out again, dyed their hair and went off to somewhere. Yashiro who was the only one who had not seen Kuon, the true face behind Tsuruga Ren, was stunned to see the actor's look.

"Sebastian." Lory broke the silence first. "print their picture in that new look of theirs in the elevator and go to Tokyo station and asked the employees if they saw them yesterday morning."

Sebastian silently nodded in agreement and went to work. "Yashiro, we are going to analyze this and guess where they went."

"Okay…" Yashiro snapped out of it and heaved a sigh. "Let's get to know them again, president." Yashiro got out his notebook. "I actually learned this from all of Ren's script that I've read and what I saw on set." Yashiro informed Lory. Desperation was what held Lory from commenting sharply that their situation was not a movie, it was reality.

"Mogami Kyoko. Eighteen years old." Yashiro said out loud as he scribbled it on his paper. He drew a vertical line in the middle of the paper, dividing it into two columns. "Tsuruga Ren. Twenty one years old." He wrote on the other column of the paper. "Actress… Actor/model…" And then he was thinking really hard. He could not think of anything more to write. Then, he realized that he did not really know anything more about Kyoko and Ren, especially their past, before they entered LME and started their career. "AH! Childhood friend, Fuwa Sho." He wrote under Kyoko's column. He then looked at the president for more information about the two. "That's all I know about them." He said to Lory. "Where did they come from or grew up before they joined LME, president?"

"Kyoko grew up in Kyoto. Ren…" Lory hesitated. "He grew up outside the country."

Something clicked in Yashiro's mind, like a jigsaw puzzle piece fitting right into the others. He finally know what the 'international flights' got to do with Ren. He wrote it in the info in their designated columns. "Parents?"

"Kyoko's father is dead. Her mother left her, whereabouts unknown. Ren's parents still lives outside the country." Lory answered carefully as to not reveal anything to Yashiro.

Yashiro scribbled all of it down. "Relatives that is in Japan?"

"I don't know anything about Kyoko's and Ren's grandparents here in Japan died when he was seven. They lived in…" Lory trailed off as he realized what he was about to say next. "Kyoto."

Yashiro stared at the president for a second and suddenly stood up. "That's it!" Yashiro exclaimed. He could not believed that his idea really got them an answer. Kanae and Sawara groaned and stirred at Yashiro's loud exclamation. Kanae woke up and when she remembered what had happened yesterday, she suddenly stood up with wide eyes.

"What happened? Did you find Kyoko already?" Kanae frantically asked.

"No, but we know where they went!" Yashiro answered her excitedly. "I'll go look up Fuwa Ryokan's address and phone number." He said to the president.

"Whe-" Kanae tried to asked.

"We think they went to Kyoto." Lory answered the worried and confused Love me member number two. He then flipped his phone and dialed Sebastian. "Sebastian, they went to Kyoto. Buy yourself a ticket and get on the train fast. We'll contact you with the address."

* * *

><p><em>Hi... ^_^ I hope you enjoyed this chap... It was fun writing it. But the story's pace was much slower than I had planned. But, oh well! We'll get there eventually. It is really getting exciting and I'm happy to be one more step closer to where my mind is taking this story. My mind is so excited and always thinking about what is happening further ahead in this story. Anyways, let me know if you like this chap and where I'm going with it. Soooo... Now that we know that they really are LEGALLY married, what do you think is going to happen next? Divorce? I hope not...<em>

_Thank you so much reading my stories and for all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! I really appreciate it guys... You give me inspiration and energy to write chapter after chapter... Love you guys... ^_^_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat and its characters...

_I'm so so oh so sorry for the very berry strawberry late update. ^_^ Anyways, thanks so much for all the reviews and support... The first one to review this new chap will be my 100th reviewer. Congratulations in advance! I don't have anything to give you, though! Hehe I'm just so happy... Sooo without anymore of my useless babbling, continue on reading... Hope you enjoy it... ^_^_

_**Little recap:**_

_"We think they went to Kyoto." Lory answered the worried and confused Love me member number two. He then flipped his phone and dialed Sebastian. "Sebastian, they went to Kyoto. Buy yourself a ticket and get on the train fast. We'll contact you with the address." _

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 9:

_Well, I'm going home ,back to the place were I belong,_

_And where you love has always been enough for me..._

_**~Present... 3:15 PM on 26th of December~**_

Kyoko washed her face on the stream which thankfully still have not frozen. The water was cold, very cold, but it felt good, especially for her eyes. It lessen the swelling and the redness and she looked fine now. But her fingers stayed cold and frozen. Ren noticed it when she blew on her hands to warm it. He took her hands and put both of it on his cheeks and covered it with his own hands. Kyoko blushed and tried to pull her hands away but Ren held both tightly and smiled down at her. Kyoko stopped protesting and enjoyed the warmth he was giving to her frozen fingers.

After they calmed down, Ren weaved his fingers with hers and he told her to lead the way to the Fuwa Ryokan. They walked down an almost non-existent trail in silence. There were lots of branches blocking their path and Ren reluctantly let go of her hand to help Kyoko clear the way. After fighting their way through bushes, branches and thick leaves, they finally emerged through it. Several yards further in front was the backyard and garden of the Fuwa Ryokan.

It was so nostalgic to Kyoko that she felt a bit sad. Memories flooded her mind of the childhood she spent there, even memories of Sho. But to her surprise, she did not feel the pain or even the anger that came with thinking about Sho. It was strange. She even had a small smile on her face when she recalled the fun memories they had together. Although, a particular emotion and the reason for it stuck out when she came out of the forest. It was of dismay. Dismay that she had to leave her fairy friend behind. When it was time to go back, she was reluctant to leave his company and the thought that she would met him the next day was the only thing that made her walk away. Then, that final day arrived...

Kyoko shook herself to not let the memory of the sadness envelope her. She felt Ren's fingers weaved into hers and squeezed her hand for a second. She looked up to see him smiled down to her in encouragement. She realized that this time around, she came out with her fairy prince beside her. Even though, she still could not wrap her head around that idead. But she looked at his out of this world swimming blue eyes, his pale glittering blonde hair as fresh as the morning sun and his dazzling smile and it seem to brighten her cloudy world. Soaking up all his brightness into her own body, she finally smiled. A very natural and lovely smile that brightens her face too.

Kyoko took a deep breath and led the way to back door of the the kitchen. She knocked and was opened by one of the helpers of the kitchen.

"K-kyoko-chan?" The older woman asked in surprise. Kyoko recognized her immediately.

"Matsunaga-san, it's been a while." Kyoko bowed gracefully, the bow that was instilled into her since she was little, without letting go of Ren's hand that was link with hers. At the sound of Kyoko's voice, the Taisho stopped working and went to them. Kyoko's face brighten even more when she, for the first time that she could remember, saw the man who was a father figure to her since she was little. She stared at her face for a moment then clumsily bowed to him. Ren bowed with her too.

"Good morning, Taisho." She greeted. He only nodded and grunted in reply. They were ushered in and led by the Taisho in a private room. They sat formally across each other and a few minutes later, the Okami arrived with their tea. Kyoko and Ren stood up and bowed to her too as they greeted each other.

There was silence for a moment after the greeting and after they sat down across each other. Ren broke the silence first. "Thank you so much for all your help yesterday." Ren said sincerely with a slight bow of his head. "We would have been able to marry without your help."

"It was nothing. It was her right to begin with." The Okami replied with her polite business smile. "We could not do anything with it after how our son treated her. I'm very sorry for that."

"No, you don't have to apologize." Kyoko protested as she always does. "I'm very grateful to the two of you for taking me in and raising me so kindly. I'll be forever in your debt." Kyoko bowed to the floor in front of them. The Taisho grunted and the Okami just smiled silently in reply when she sat properly again.

"Someone called looking for you." The Taisho finally spoke a proper sentence. "He said he was working with you. A man also came this morning asking about you and your whereabouts."

Kyoko and Ren was surprised by the sudden news. "Did they say who they were?" Ren asked.

"The one who called was a man named Yashiro. The man who came, he called himself, Sebastian. Seemed like a foreigner." The Taisho answered.

Gathering a lot of composure and acting abilities, Ren answered in a calm, collected voice. "Yashiro is our manager. Sebastian is our president's assistant." He explained to them. "I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, but Kyoko and I didn't want any kind of unnecessary attention that came with our job. So we did not inform them. But rest assured I am very serious about her and our marriage. I only want to protect her from any harm."

The Okami nodded, somewhat impressed by Ren because she had her doubts when the young man was acting differently yesterday. The Taisho's frown deepened and he grunted again.

"Can I kindly ask to use your phone to call them? To put them at ease." Ren asked.

"Yes, of course." The Okami answered and slowly stood up. "This way, please."

When they finally left, the Taisho looked at Kyoko and finally smiled. Kyoko was so surprised and then, she felt happy she returned his smile. "Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Yes, I'm fine." Kyoko asnwered.

"Are you happy?" He inquired. Kyoko nodded with a bright smile that seem to convince the Taisho.

"Does he treat you well?" He asked, suddenly looking very serious. Kyoko was a little surprise at his question.

"Yes." Kyoko lowered her gaze and answered with a very thoughtful smile and gentle eyes. "He treats me very well."

_**~Tokyo on the 26th of December at 3:45 PM...~**_

"Sebastian!" He barked on the phone that was on his desk and was put on speaker for Yashiro's benefit, who on the other side of his desk, sitting on a chair and biting his nail in worry and frustration. Sebastian had arrived in Kyoto at nearly nine in the morning and until now he still could not find two famous celebrities. "Why can't you find two famous people? They should stand out. He is a foreigner and possibly the tallest guy among all the people of Kyoto!"

"Kyoto is big in terms of finding two people, Sir, especially if we have little clues as to where in Kyoto they went to." Sebastian reasoned with his monotonously tone, as if he was not affected by his boss's outburst. "I went to the Fuwa Ryokan but they said they were not there any-"

Lory jumped to his feet when his phone beeped, signaling of another incoming call with unknown number. "Sebastian I have another call, maybe it's Ren. Hang up, I'll call you later."

He pressed the button to take the new incoming call. "Hello?" He said as his heart nervously pounded in his chest.

"Hello, president. It's me, Ren." Answered the familiar voice of his number one actor. Relief flooded him but soon changed into anger.

"Kuon, you stupid idiot! Do you have any idea how worried we were?!" Lory shouted to the poor phone. "Your parents would have killed me, you know! Your mom even think of me as a kidnapper, do you really want me dead?"

"Calm down, boss." A little bit of Kuon came out. "I'm sorry for worrying you and everyone."

"Is Kyoko with you? Is she okay? Are you two okay?" Yashiro asked frantically.

"Oh, hey there, Yashiro." Ren replied.

"Don't hey-there me! Answer my question!"

"We're fine. Don't be so worried. We're going home after this." Ren replied.

"Where the hell are you anyway?" The president asked.

"We are now at the Fuwa Ryokan. Tell Sebastian to met us at the train station in thirty minutes or so. I'll explain everything when we get back." And with that he hang up before any of the two could say anything.

Lory sagged down on his desk chair as did Yashiro. Kanae was out to do her job. She could not find any valid and reasonable excuse not to go even if she really did not want to. After a moment, Lory called Sebastian to tell him about their rendezvous with Ren and Kyoko.

For three long and agonizing hours, Lory, Yashiro and now joined by Kanae were in the president's study room waiting for Sebastian, Kyoko and Ren. They were restless. They were pacing down Lory's carpet making a trail, reading upside down magazines, sitting down and standing up and again and again and again. Until they heard the knock on the door which made them froze in what they were doing. Then, they scrambled to seat themselves in Lory's expensive matching set of sofas and chairs.

When Lory told them to come in, the door opened and Sebastian stepped aside for the two to let themselves in first. Kyoko stepped into view first with her new black hair. Kanae started to make her way to her best friend to gather her in a hug but stopped midway when she caught sight of Kuon. The blurry picture of him in the elevator could not compare to the real life breathing version. Kyoko saw Kanae and flew the distance to hug her best friend. Kanae was snapped out of her trance and she immediately hugged her best friend back.

Relief flooded through Kyoko like a dam making all her muscles relaxed with no strength left. She sagged against Kanae when her knees gave out. Ren ran to her and helped Kanae hold her up. The other men were also surprised and wanted to help but just hovered around when they saw they were not needed. Ren and Kanae helped Kyoko sit on the sofa.

"Sebastian, can you prepare tea and some snacks or food please?" Ren asked Sebastian. "She barely ate lunch. She was so anxious."

Sebastian hurriedly left to prepare it. Lory, Kanae and Yashiro's anger and millions of questions died as they looked at the exhausted state of Ren and Kyoko. They decided to sit and wait quietly for Sebastian to come back with the much needed food and drinks. Before long, Sebastian came back with everything they needed. Ren and especially Kyoko was relieved and glad for the delay of their inevitable interrogation and explanation of the events that happened of even she could not make sense. Kyoko sipped her tea and nibbled on pastry snacks to store some energy for that inevitable questioning to come.

All of them ate and drank their tea. They were also hungry and tired from this incident. But now, they could finally had the appetite to eat and enjoy their food without worrying about the two. When they finally finished, Sebastian cleared up and went to take it to the kitchen. There was silence as the three looked at the two expectantly. Kyoko squirmed uncomfortably at their probing eyes. She unnecessarily swept a lock of her hair behind her ear and that was when their eyes noticed the twinkling and glittering of diamonds on her finger. They froze. Then their eyes traveled to Ren's fingers. And sure enough, the evidence was there.

"You're MARRIED?!" Lory stood up and exclaimed in disbelief. "The moment Kyoko turned eighteen, you eloped and got yourselves married? I can't believe you! You didn't even tell us! What will happen to all my preparations now?"

All head whipped up to look at Lory. "You're worried about your preparations?" Kanae jumped from her chair and asked in disbelief. "They got married in secret and all you care about is your plans for their wedding?"

"How could you not tell us?" Yashiro cried out at Ren as he stood tall over his seated form while Kanae still shouting at the president. "We did not even know you two were dating! We just found out in the surveillance cameras that Kyoko goes to your apartment almost every week!"

Ren sighed. He did not want to deal with this right now. He also noticed that the shouting was affecting Kyoko too. He stood up suddenly.

"WOULD YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP?!" Ren, or more like Kuon, shouted at them... In English... with perfect American accent and fluency. "We did not even know we were married until we woke up this morning with a massive headache!"

They froze in their awkward standing and angry position. Then, Sebastian came in as if nothing serious happened and placed another fresh cups of tea in front of them. Ren reigned Kuon in before he completely blew up and cause more problems than actually solve some. Kyoko could clearly see his struggle and held his hand in hers. He looked down at her and he calmed down. He dropped back down on the sofa beside her again with a heavy sigh.

Their brains took several minutes to fully understand what he just said and then a chorus of loud "WHAT?!" echoed in the room.

* * *

><p><em>I know it's a little short... So here's a clue for the next chapter... The theme is still "Going Home"... Hope you get it. NO? Okay, another clue... How far will the two really go HOME? Still not getting it? *sigh* you guys are hopeless... Lol I mean "home" where you grew up... UGH! Where your parents live! -.- Now the cat's out of the bag... lol<em>

_I know... I'm not that good with charades. It was so funny when we played Catch Phrase when we went camping. English was the second or third language of most of the players like me, so it was pretty funny when we tried to explain a word hurriedly because of the timer ticking loudly making you nervous._

_Anyways, thank you so much guys for reading and all the reviews, alerts, follows and favs... Hope you still continue reading my stories... See yah... ^_^_


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **Every time I type this, I feel kind of stupid somehow... But anyway, I clearly don't own Skip Beat and its characters...

_Here comes another one. I would have finished this chap yesterday, but I got carried away chatting online with my friend. I'm sorry and I can't update my other story right away coz I'm going camping this weekend. ^_^ So here it is... Enjoy! ^_^_

_Little recap for thos who wants it:_

"WOULD YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP?!" Ren, or more like Kuon, shouted at them... In English... with perfect American accent and fluency. "We did not even know we were married until we woke up this morning with a massive headache!"

They froze in their awkward standing and angry position. Their brains took several minutes to fully understand what he just said and then a chorus of loud "WHAT?!" echoed in the room.

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 10:

_But these places and these faces are getting old,_

_So I'm going home..._

"What do you mean you didn't know?" The president exclaimed in disbelief. He was the first one to react because he was the only one of the three that could fully understand what Ren (with a mixture of Kuon) had rapidly said in English. "You two got married yesterday! What's not to know? Did you fell asleep when you sign your marriage registration? Or when you said your vows?!"

Ren closed his eyes and breathed in deep to calm himself and control Kuon who was ready to come out and blow up in front of everyone. But apparently, the president was oblivious and too caught up in his own mind to notice Ren's mood as he continued on.

"Don't tell me you also forgot what happened on your wedding ni-"

"SHUT THE F***ING HELL UP!" Kuon finally came out. He jumped to his feet ignoring Kyoko's hand trying to hold him back as he angrily walked up to Lory and stopped just inches away from his face. "I'm already f***ing guilty and ashamed as s**t of what I did! I don't need you to f***ing tell it to my f***ing face!"

Lory was shock to met the darker Kuon again after all these years. He just stood there, eyes wide and staring up at Kuon, not blinking. He was breathing hard and after that outburst, Ren seemed to recover his control of the darker and easily angered side of his true self. He breathed deep and breathed out.

"Just sit down and shut up for a minute, so I can explain everything." Ren said in a strained voice, trying to be calm and composed. But it was finally in Japanese which Yashiro and Kanae can finally completely understand. "Kyoko and I are already so confused since we woke up this morning and this shouting is only making it worse, okay?"

Lory heard him. He heard the pleading in his strained voice. He could not ignore it. He sighed and nodded. He sat down on his chair and Kanae and Yashiro followed. Kuon sighed a big sigh again, but he knew this was just the beginning of this drama.

_Wait till I finish telling them and all hell would break loose, _Ren thought. Ren went back to his seat and sipped some of his tea. He looked at Kyoko, trying to see if see if she was okay.

"Are you okay?" He softly ask Kyoko. Kyoko also looked at him in concern, but she nodded in reply to his inquiry.

"Are you?" Kyoko asked back. The four other people in the room looked and listen to their conversation intently.

"Yeah. Just need to get this over with." He answered and took Kyoko's hand in his and squeezed it as if to get strength and courage from it. "This is gonna take a while... But after this, you can go take a hot bath and finally get some rest in one of the rooms here."

Kyoko could not helped her lips from curling into a smile by his sweet concern for her. She just nodded, she did not trust her voice to reply. She was so emotionally wrung out since she woke up that morning and what Ren said sounded really good. It also touched her deep in her heart and she was barely holding back her tears. Ren then faced his jury and gathered his thoughts on how to start his explanation.

"We, ah... We don't remember what happened yesterday..." Ren confessed. Lory, Yashiro and Kanae just stared at him for a full minute. Their brain functions were slowed because of stress and lack of sleep or no sleep at all.

"W-wh-what do you mean you don't remember?" Kanae demanded. "You took advantage advantage of Kyoko and persuaded her to marry you so you can get her to b-mmm!" Kanae could not finish what she was going to say when Kyoko covered her mouth with her hand.

"It's not like that, Moko-san!" Kyoko defended Ren vehemently at her best friend. "It's not his fault! It's nobody's fault! I don't remember anything about yesterday! I CAN'T remember anything! I don't even know the reason why I got MARRIED! _Married_, Moko-san! I can't LOVE! Why would I get married? And why can't I remember a-anything?" She started sobbing. "T-then they s-said I, *sniff* I was s-so e-e-excited yes...yesterday..."

Ren gathered her to him. "Sshh... It's okay. Kyoko, it's going to be okay." Ren tried consoling her but she continued sobbing and clinging to Ren's arms like it was her lifeline. "Sshh... I'm here, remember? Kyoko, look at me." One of her hand rubbed her back in comfort and the other hand tilted her head up to look at him. "We're home now. No more worrying... And I think it's time for that hot bath now."

Ren glanced at Sebastian and he went out to get Kyoko's bath ready. Ren looked up and glared at the three of them as he continued to hold Kyoko in his arms and stroked her back to lull her into relaxation. Sebastian came back and Ren scooped Kyoko in his arms and carried her.

"I'll be right back." He told the three of them, who was sitting there feeling guilty. Ren followed Sebastian to a bedroom and to the en suite bathroom. One of the maid was waiting inside and he set Kyoko on her feet. Ren told her to enjoy her bath and to get some rest after. He kissed her forehead and let the maid took over in caring for his wife.

Sebastian and Ren went back to the people who were anxiously waiting for him in the study. When he returned, he sat down and got to explaining immediately.

"The last thing I remember and this is also a hazy memory, was Kyoko acting weird or drunk. So I took her home because I didn't want the Taisho and Okami to see her like that and I also couldn't concentrate on driving with her acting drunk. So I took her home and I, uh, I think I carried her to the guest bedroom. And that's that. That's all I could remember. Everything after that is blank. I don't even know how I got to look like this again." He gestured to his hair and before any of them could say anything, he continued on.

"The next thing I knew I woke up feeling cold. I opened my eyes and saw Kyoko in front of me. I even thought she was just my imagination and I touched her face and she was still there, she was real. I got up and felt my head explode. I tried to get use to the pain and got out of bed and I found out I was naked. I looked back at her and she was naked." Ren heard the three of them gasped. But he didn't care, he just wanted to get it over with.

"I saw a pair of pants on the floor and put it on. Our clothes were on the floor. Mine was a tux and she had a white dress. That was when something came to mind and I looked at our left ring fingers." He unconsciously fiddled with his wedding band. "I told her... That we might have gotten married. I showed her our ring fingers and I nearly had a heart attack when she went limp and fainted."

Yashiro and Lory looked like they were about to cry.

"I went out, I found out we were at Tanaka Ryokan and also found out I looked like this. The Okami knew me as Kuon and she gave me my digital camera. Kyoko and I looked at it. It was like we were looking at two different people. It wasn't us." Ren took out the camera from his pocket and put it on the coffee table. None of them moved to pick it up.

"We decided to find out what we really did and see if we are legally married. We were lucky when the taxi we got on was the same taxi we hired yesterday to get to different places. He showed us where we went to when I told him we wanted to make sure we paid everyone for their services. The last place we went to yesterday was a bridal store."

Ren took out a big brown envelope from his jacket. He took out the business cards. He found the card for the bridal store and showed it to them.

"I got a picture of the owner, who attended to us yesterday. Next was the Jewelry store." He showed them their business card on the coffee table.

"Then, the next stop was one of Kyoto's Branch Office. But we had to wait one hour because the person who assisted us in our registration was on his lunch break. We went to lunch but we were not in the mood to eat. When we went back, we found out he also referred us to the minister who performed our wedding. He gave us his contact information, then send us to the Municipal Office to get our Certificate of Acceptance of Notification of Marriage."

Ren produced another big brown envelope put together with the other evidence of what had transpired yesterday.

"She read it over and over and over again on our way over to the Fuwa Ryokan. And then, she told the driver to stop the car and ran out. I sent the driver ahead. We were close to the Ryokan and I went after her. When I got to her, she broke down and cried. I assured and comforted her. We then went to the Fuwas, pretending we were happy newlyweds. They told us you were looking for us. I called you but I couldn't say anything because the Okami was right outside the door. And that's it..."

There was silence for a few minutes as they digest all of what he just told them. Then, the three of them spoke all at once and they did not even stopped when they heard the others spoke too. He sighed.

"You two, be quiet." Lory barked Kanae and Yashiro. "I am going to ask questions first." He said firmly and now that he calmed down and thinking straight, he now had serious questions in mind.

"How many di you drink at the party, Kuon?"

"Boss, I was driving! I lived in LA for fifteen years, I've seen and heard enough drunk driving accidents in my life to know not to do it, especially when Kyoko's with me!" Kuon defended himself and, Kanae and Yashiro were thankful that he was speaking in Japanese.

"Kuon-"

"I had three drinks! A flute of champagne, the cocktail Kyoko made me and half a glass of scotch, on the rocks on top of that. I wasn't even buzzed, let alone drunk to the point of memory lapse!" Kuon exclaimed in annoyance.

"Why do you keep calling him Kuon?" Kanae asked in frustration. "Is that his real name?"

Kanae picked up the envelope that Kuon told them contained the Certificate of Acceptance of Notification of Marriage. She read it for a minute and her eyes bulged out. Yashiro snatch the envelope when Kanae froze in shock. He read it and his jaw dropped.

"Y-yo-you..." Yashiro closed his mouth and then opened them again as he stared at Kuon. He sighed in resignation and annoyance.

"Yes, I am Hizuri Kuon. I am the son of Hizuri Kuu and this is what I really look like."Kuon casually confirmed the truth. "Haven't you told them?" He asked the president.

"Did you tell Kyoko?" Lory asked back.

"Yes..." He answered solemnly. "I told her everything even about Rick, but not all the gory details."

"So what do you want to do now?" Lory asked while the other two were still in shock.

"What are our options?" Kuon asked back.

"Hmmm..." Lory hummed as he thought of answer to Kuon's question. "Everything is under wraps. I'll let Sebastian handle all the people you came in contact with for your wedding. You'll never have to worry about them leaking information. You did a good job getting all their contact information. And that leaves you two to decide what you are going to do about your marriage."

Kuon sighed. "I'm just worried about Kyoko. She just woke up one day to find out she's married."

"You can always get a divorce." Lory suggested.

"Hell no!" Kuon protested in English and continued on in Japanese. "A divorcee at eighteen years old? Not her! And what if she is pregnant, boss? I'm sure as hell we didn't use protection that night."

Then, they all heard an audible gasp from the direction of the door. They all saw Kyoko standing there, dressed in silk pajamas, with a horrified look. "P-p...pre..." She could not finish saying the word and let all the air in her lungs out.

Kuon immediately stood up and flew to her side. "You should be resting." He scolded her. Kyoko slowly turned her head and looked up at him with fear as clear as a crystal shining on her two beautiful golden eyes.

"We still don't know it for sure." Ren assured her. He brushed a hand to the side of her face and then cupped her cheek. "But we have to think of all the possible... results to what happened. Don't be afraid. I'm right here. We're all right here beside you every step of the way." He kissed her forehead and held her close to him. "I won't leave you, I promise."

"You two can take a week off to figure things out." Lory said. "You two can go home. Your parents have been waiting for you two long enough."

"Parents?" Kuon asked. Kyoko's brain was exhausted already. Her body was screaming to get some rest, but she forced herself to go back to the study because they were still figuring out what to do and that include her too. But now, inhaling Ren's masculine scent and feeling safe in his warm embrace, it was lulling her to sleep.

"Yes, it's about time you go home. Don't worry about Kyoko. She's supposed to visit Kuu on New years anyway, it's her birthday present from him. He told me to get her passport and Visa ready early this year. So, everything's ready." Lory explained, but Kyoko did not hear him anymore. When Kyoko suddenly went limp, Kuon forgot what Lory had told him.

"Kyoko?" He asked in concern. Then, he noticed her even breathing and he sighed in relief. He scooped her gently into his arms. "I'm going to sleep." With that, he went out and walked to the bedroom where he left Kyoko to take a bath before. He was kneeling on the bed and his upper body bent down to lower her gently on the middle of the queen size bed. But then, exhaustion caught up to him and the soft bed felt so inviting that his body collapsed beside hers. As soon as his head hit the pillow he was completely out.

Sebastian, who was stealthily following them, silently closed the door and left with a small smile on his lips.

* * *

><p><em>Whew! That was long and finally over. But I did enjoy writing it. I wouldn't be writing it if I don't enjoy it though. Lol I really hope you liked it. I'm so happy the story's coming along... And as for flashbacks, there we'll be some here and there, when they remember bits and pieces of their lost memories. <em>

_I hope it wasn't too out of character. Kyoko is just overwhelmed and confused by all the new information she had learned and the sudden changes in her life that she clings to Ren who was with her when it all happened. She'll be back to normal, well close to normal, after she gets some sleep. Ren/Kuon is just showing his real feeling for her and acting his true self. As for Kanae and Yashiro's reaction... Well, who wouldn't be shock to know the son of the most famous Japanese star all over the world was just hiding in plain sight all these years and was now the top actor of Japan just like his father was? As for Lory, three quarters of him is ecstatic that they're finally married and the remaining quarter is worried for Kyoko and the future of the two's marriage. _

_That's all for now... Thanks so much for reading and all the reviews, follows and favs. I really appreciate it guys... Read yah next chap... Love yah... ^_^ Hope you tell me how you liked this chapter, coz I'm a little nervous about it. _


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat and its characters...

_I was writing this chap alternately with the recent chapter update of Baby Ren depending on my mood or maybe just a change of pace from the other because I can't concentrate on one thing for longer than three or four hours... My mind works sluggishly after that... I would need a break, fresh air or just sugar, preferably chocolate~! That's why I'm been gaining weight... Lol Just kidding... So anyways, here's your chapter update order... Dig in! ^_^ Enjoy your meal! Hehe Don't mind me, I'm just hungry._

Little recap to those who needs it:

_"Kyoko?" He asked in concern. Then, he noticed her even breathing and he sighed in relief. He scooped her gently into his arms. "I'm going to sleep." With that, he went out and walked to the bedroom where he left Kyoko to take a bath before. He was kneeling on the bed and his upper body bent down to lower her gently on the middle of the queen size bed. But then, exhaustion caught up to him and the soft bed felt so inviting that his body collapsed beside hers. As soon as his head hit the pillow he was completely out. _

_Sebastian, who was stealthily following them, silently closed the door and left with a small smile on his lips. _

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 11:

_Make my wish come true_

_All I want for Christmas is you_

"Hey, boss, merry Christmas!" Kuu greeted when he answered Lory's call.

"Merry Christmas to you indeed!" Lory replied enthusiastically. "Where's Julie?"

"Wait a sec. I'll put you on speaker." Kuu told him.

"I'm not talking to any kidnapper, even if it is Christmas." Julie said, each word so sharp like a knife.

"Merry Christmas to you, darling." Lory answered with a chuckle. "I called because I want to give my present for you two and I think you'll love it."

"Wow, I'm excited!" Kuu said excitedly.

"Big words for someone who's responsible for taking away my son." Julie said tartly.

"Oh, you'll love it." Lory replied, ignoring Juliena's hostility. "Kyoko's going to be there a bit early and she's bringing you _your _Christmas presents."

"Really, boss?" Kuu asked in a child-like voice who just got his best present ever.

"That's all?" Julie asked, totally unconvinced.

"Just wait till you see it." He assured her. "And you're very welcome, Juliena."

"Thanks so much boss. I really appreciate it." Kuu interjected in between his wife's sharp attacks at Lory.

"She'll arrive in LAX tomorrow night at 10:35. Be sure to pick her up. Goodbye."

_**~7:00AM, 27th of December at Takarada Mansion~**_

Kyoko woke up but she did not open her eyes. She was feeling so warm and comfortable to move. But she was suddenly startled wide awake when the warm blanket over her waist tightened its hold on her. Then, she felt something warm snuggled on the side of her neck. All the hair on the back of her neck stood up and she screamed.

Ren immediately sat up when he heard the scream and look around disoriented. He heard rustling of the sheet on the bed and he turned to look at the woman beside him who was in the process of putting as much distance from him as the bed allowed. She was also covering herself with the blanket and her face was flushed red. And to him, she look absolutely beautiful. He could not stop the shining and uplifting feeling he was feeling inside from showing on his face through a heavenly smile.

"Good morning." He dazedly greeted her.

Kyoko was shock when she woke up spooned by someone who she did not know just a few seconds ago to be Ren. Now, she was stunned by his signature heavenly smile that was a couple of watts more brighter and potent, and she could not move or blink. She did not even hear his good morning greeting.

"Kyoko?" Ren asked, concerned when Kyoko did not reply or move an inch. "Kyoko, are you okay?"

Ren moved closer to her to check. He waved his hand close to her eye and she did not even blink. He put his hand on her forehead to check if she had a fever or something. When she felt his hand on her forehead, Kyoko came to herself and her eyes widened.

"Ts-Tsuruga-san?!" She asked confused in a high pitched voice. "Wha-what are you doing here?" She looked around her, disoriented and confused. "Wh-why are we s-s-sleeping together o-on the same bed again?"

"Sshh... Relax. I carried you yesterday here when you collapsed in the study, and I guess... I passed out too as soon as I felt the bed." Ren explained as he lowered his hand to his lap. "I'm sorry for startling you."

Ren moved to get out of the bed to give Kyoko her space to calm down. "I'll just... Go to my own room and get showered and changed. You should do the same. The president said we're going to LA to visit Dad today, I think. To let us figure out what we want to do with... Our situation." Ren made his way to the door and paused. "I'll call one of the maid to get you some clothes."

After they got showered or bathed and dressed, everybody met up in the dining room for breakfast. Kanae and Yashiro stayed there too. Maria was ecstatic to see her two favorite people so early in the morning. It was good for Kyoko too because she was being distracted by Maria's excitement and chatter to think of their complicated situation. After breakfast, they had time to relax, get some sunshine, inhale the fresh air and let their food digest, so their brains are one hundred percent functioning for the important meeting later.

The relaxation came to an end and Maria went to where she wanted to go together with her carer. Everybody again gathered to Lory's study for their decisions and agenda for the day.

"I called Kuu last night and told him you where going there early. He was ecstatic." The president began. "Your flight will be later tonight. You will stay there for a week to figure out what your going to do about this situation of yours. You are free to decide whatever is good for you two. It's your life. But," Lory paused dramatically with a very serious expression on his face as he looked at Ren and Kyoko. "Before you decide anything, anything at all, I want you to consider these..."

"We all know that in this life, you can't keep a secret forever... Especially something so big and important like this and it's even harder when both parties are famous." Lory paused for the two people concerned to fully and clearly understand what he just said. "There isn't anything certain in this world. So even if your wedding was done in secret and under wraps, we _cannot_ guarantee that nobody will ever find out about it. That is why I advise you to think twice about divorce."

"If the press finds out that you got married and after a week you filed for divorce, it will not look good for both of your careers... Especially for Mogami-kun. It could end her career and would really hurt her, not just for the lose of her job but for the savageness of the press also. I don't want that to happen and if that will ever happen, I would help and protect you as much as I can. But I can only do enough." The president told them seriously. "But whatever, you both decide, divorce or not, I will be behind you all the way. I will help you out as much as I can, I can promise you that. All I'm asking you is to spend time with each other for a week, and decide with whatever you FEEL... is right for you. Is that okay?"

Everyone in the room was silent and after a moment, Kyoko and Ren nodded their heads silently in agreement. "That's good. Now, Yashiro will accompany Ren to some appointments he needs to go to before he leaves. Kyoko, you can play with Maria while you wait for Ten to disguise you like we planned before. Kanae, go to Kyoko's place and pack a small suitcase for her. She doesn't need much, I'm sure Julie will take her shopping. Then, you can go to your regular schedule."

_**~10:30PM at the 27th of December, LAX~**_

_I'll be home for Christmas_

_You can count on me_

The day passed by quickly and now, Kyoko and Koun, changed into the original look by Jelly, just arrived at LAX. They got off the plane, Kyoko was excited and so amazed that she was really here in America. It was her first time flying too. She got scared by a little turbulence and air packets and held Koun's arm tightly. Koun was enjoying the few moments before he started thinking about home and how he felt about it because he was pretty nervous and worried about it. Though, the thought of going home with his love by his side did brought a great deal of comfort for him.

Koun was wearing an over-sized winter beanie to hide his eye-catching hair color. He also put black rimmed no grade eyeglasses as disguise. Kyoko dyed her hair into its original color black and she wore gloves to hide her rings. She was not comfortable wearing them and people seeing it. It was also to hide the evidence. They were disguised as their former original look. They got shortly separated at the Port of Entry and then they met up to get their baggage. They went through the final security check and they were free. As soon as they were free Koun told her to go ahead and look for his parents while he was going to get a cart for their luggage. They had one big suitcase for Koun, one small suitcase for Kyoko, one big suitcase for presents which mostly contained food for Kuu and one work bag for Koun.

Kuu told Lory earlier that they were going in a pretty heavy disguise, so he was going to hold a sign with Kyoko's name on it. When Kyoko made her way out together with the mass of people, she was startled when a loud crowd welcomed them. She saw people hugging, even kissing, laughing and just feeling happy to see their loved ones. She saw signs with names and continued to walk along the line of the crowd when she did not see her name. Finally at the end of the crowd, he saw a tall man with a hat and a long black beard holding up a white sign with 'Mogami' written on it. She let out a laugh and grinned widely as she half run to him.

When the man noticed him, his face let up and his arms spread open to welcome her into a hug. He gave her a tight bear hug, lifting her up from the ground.

"You finally made it!" Kuu greeted and then he put her back on the ground and pulled away. "Welcome to LA. Oh, here is my wife." Before Kyoko could look at the woman properly, she was gathered into an embrace.

"It's nice to finally meet you." The woman said. When she pulled away from Kyoko, she finally got a good look at her and she was surprised. The woman had long wavey black hair with side bangs, really thick black eyeliner, fake lashes and piercings on her nose, eyebrow, lips and ears. She also had a tattoo from the side of her neck to the side of her face. Kyoko blinked and the woman let out a laugh.

"It's the only way for me not to be recognized." She whispered to her with a smile. "It's just a disguise, by the way I'm Julie and you are now my daughter."

Kyoko's eyes widened. _Did they find out already? _Kyoko thought nervously. _The president said he still hasn't told them yet._

"Where's your luggage?" Kuu asked when he noticed. Kyoko snapped out of her thoughts when she heard his question.

"Oh, uhm..." She turned around to look for Koun. He was standing two or three yards away from them with the luggage cart. He pushed the cart and walked up behind Kyoko. They followed her gaze and stilled.

"Got it right here." Koun said and smiled at his parents as he turned his body to face them.

The moment Koun spoke, all doubts Kuu and Julie felt about them just imagining him vanished into thin air.

"K-Koun?" Kuu asked.

"Hi, mom, dad." He greeted them with a smile. "I'm home."

Julie flew to her son and threw herself at him in a hug. Kyoko and Kuu could hear Julie laughing and crying at the same time. She pulled away just to cup her sons face in her hands and look at him.

"I missed you so much." She whispered to him with all her heart. "I love you so much."

"Love you too, mom..." Koun whispered back in voice full of held back tears. "Always." He kissed her cheek and held her tight.

Kuu noticed that they were gathering attention and went behind Koun. He gave his shoulder a squeeze and hugged the both of them for a brief second.

"It's time to go." He whispered to them and let them go to push the cart. Koun released her mom but still kept her in a tight hold by her waist to his side. Koun took Kyoko's hand and they made their way to the parking lot.

They arrived at their home in Beverly Hills after a more than half an hour drive, which they spent asking Koun and Kyoko questions, just catching up with them. When they got out of the car, Koun went to help his father get their luggage out while the girls went straight inside.

Kyoko was in awe and went to la la land with what she was seeing. It felt to her like she was in fairyland and its magnificent castle. Julie and Kyoko were now shedding their thick jackets, scarves, hats and gloves. But Kyoko was very busy looking around in the foyer, its grand staircase and spectacular chandelier to really pay attention to taking off her winter accessories, so Julie helped her. She took off Kyoko's hat, scarf and then her gloves. That's when she noticed Kyoko's Engagement and wedding rings. Julie gasped. Before she got to ask Kyoko about it, Koun and Kuu just came inside. They were talking but Koun noticed his mom and Kyoko just standing there.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Koun asked at his mother's stillness.

Julie turned her head to Koun with a surprise expression on her face. Kuu also stopped and looked curiously at his wife. She opened her mouth and she struggled to form the question. Her mind was too lost with all the questions. She closed her mouth and swallowed her saliva and tried to speak again while Koun reached out to touch her in concern. But before his hand reached his mother, Julie's eyes caught the twinkle of a diamond on Koun's left ring finger that was stretched out to her. Julie's eyes widened and it made Koun's hand stop midway in the air.

Koun was confused by his mom's reaction. Then, Koun noticed what her mother was holding in her hand, Kyoko's left hand with its twinkling rings beautifully sitting there for all to see. His left hand dropped to his side as he hang his head and let out a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt a headache coming.

"Y-ou..." Julie was having a hard time getting the words out. "two are... Mm...married?" She asked in total disbelief.

Kuu just stood there for a full minute as his brain processed the whole sentence his wife just said. When his brain finally understood its full meaning, the suitcase he was dragging dropped in a loud clatter to the floor as he let go of it in shock.

Kyoko, on other hand, was oblivious to the real world and what was happening in it. She was in her dreamland with her enchanting fairies and castles.

* * *

><p><em>Dandandan-DANNNN! Lol (BTW that's my version of 5th symphony) :D Sooooo? You excited? I am excited for Koun's parent's reaction to the news. I hope you liked this chappie... My mind is now busy thinking of what's gonna happen next and what they are going to do while they are in LA. It's gonna be exciting! Another adventure! Or should I say Great Escape? Hahaha Anyways, thank you all so much for all the love and support. Thanks for continue reading, reviewing, following, fav-ing, loving and liking my story... Read yah next chap... Take care guys... ^_^<em>


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat and its characters...

_Hi, everyone... Apologies and reasons are at the bottom as to not delay your reading. Excuse my poor english grammar and limited vocab. I'm still a baby when it comes to English. ^_^ If you don't mind that, please go ahead and enjoy! _

Recap:

_"Y-ou..." Julie was having a hard time getting the words out. "two are... M...married?" She asked in total disbelief. _

_Kuu just stood there for a full minute as his brain processed the whole sentence his wife just said. When his brain finally understood its full meaning, the suitcase he was dragging dropped in a loud clatter to the floor as he let go of it in shock. _

_Kyoko, on other hand, was oblivious to the real world and what was happening in it. She was in her dreamland with her enchanting fairies and castles. _

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 12:

_Said the night wind to the little lamb_

_Do you see what I see?..._

_Said the little lamb to the Shepard boy_

_Do you hear what I hear?..._

_Said the Shepard boy to the mighty king_

_Do you know what I know?..._

"Mom, dad, I can explain." Kuon said. Julie scoffed.

"What is there to explain, Kuon?" Julie shouted which startled Kyoko out of her fairy world and she looked at Julie wide-eyed and ready to flee. "You two got married! Without telling us! You didn't even care to inform us that you two were dating or engaged! You didn't care to invite your own parents to your wedding! Do you really hate us that much?"

"Mom, calm down for a minute. You're scaring Kyoko." Kuon tried to calm his mother down.

"Calm down?" Her mother shouted even louder, near hysteric. "How dare you tell me to calm down?"

Julie continued on with her tirade but Kuon's attention was turned elsewhere when he felt a hand clasped bone-breaking tight on his shoulder. The hand yanked him to face Kuu who was the owner of the hand and he was meet by a really dark face of his father, who looked like one of those murderous father whose teenage daughter you impregnated. Kuu was breathing heavily, trying to hold his murderous anger back.

"How. Dare. You. Married. My pure, sweet, innocent daughter without my permission!" He said the first few words slowly and then rapidly and angrily shouted at the top of his lungs the rest of the sentence as he clutched Kuon's collar and pressed him against the wall.

"Otou-san!" Kyoko called out in surprise at his adopted father's, now turned legal father-in-law's reaction. Kyoko flew to them and put herself between the two towering men. "Otou-san, it's not his fault!"

"Kyoko, it's okay." Kuon assured her. Then, his mother came to them too and continued shouting nonsense at him.

"No, it's not!" Kyoko protested. "It's me, it's all my fault!"

"Kyoko, it's not your fault." Kuon argued.

"I agree with you, Kuon." Their furious father said. "It's not her fault. You're the adult, Kuon! And I didn't remember raising you without manners and respect!"

"Enough!" He bellowed after he covered Kyoko's ears with his hands but Kyoko still winced a little at how loud his voice was. But enough was enough for Kuon. "You two are NOT saying a single word before I explain everything to you, understand?" Kuon scolded his parents like they were the children instead.

Kuon removed Kuu's hand on his collar and guided Kyoko close by his side to the living room. After a few minutes, they heard footsteps following them. They all sat on the couch as Kuu and Julie looked like children who were ready and eager to hear their bedtime story. So Kuon jumped right into it to get it over and done with.

"To make the story short..." Kuon began. "In Kyoko and Maria's grateful party, we may have ate or drank something... and when I gave Kyoko a ride home, she started acting weird or drunk. So, I brought her to my place because it was nearer. I carried her to the my guest bedroom and the next thing I knew, I woke up the next day, the day after Christmas, at Tanaka Ryokan. The very same inn we stayed at when I was ten years old with Kyoko next to me on the bed with really massive headaches. Then, we found out we had gotten married the day before and realized we have no recollection of it." Kuon ended with a heavy sigh.

Kuu and Julie looked at the two of them like they were crazy.

"Are you being serious?" Julie asked doubtfully. "Do you seriously believe that you can get away with just that kind of ridiculous story, Kuon?"

"How many did you drink, Kuon?" Asked Kuu a little after Julie asked her first question. Kuon looked at the two of them in exasperation.

"Yes, I'm being serious, Mom!" Kuon answered desperately. "And Dad! You're just as bad as Boss! I had three drinks. I wasn't even buzzed or tipsy!" Kuon scoffed and abruptly stood up and walked back to the foyer again.

"Kuon!" Kuu and Julie shouted.

"Get back here!"

"Where are you going? We're not finished yet!"

Kuon did not listen and disappeared into the foyer but reappeared again just as quickly with his work bag in hand. He sat back down and rummaged through his bag to look for evidence to convince them his telling the truth. He produced copies of the printed picture he gave Lory for the people involved in their wedding. He did not dare gave Lory the memory card for the camera.

After Kuon and Kyoko left Lory's study to get some sleep, the three: Lory, Yashiro and Kanae, scrambled to get the camera to browse their pictures only to find out there was no memory card. When Sebastian returned, he informed them that Kuon fell asleep on the bed with Kyoko. So it was hard to find and get the memory card from somewhere in Kuon's clothing.

Julie took all of the pictures and quickly browse through them with Kuu looking over her shoulder to look at them too. Then, Kuon took out the phone on the side table beside the couch and tossed it to his parents.

"Here, call Boss and ask him. I should have let him explain this to you in the first place. You would have believed him immediately." Kuon grumbled. Julie got teary eyed when she saw the picture of them and the minister who performed their marriage at the bridge. She stood up and went to hug Kyoko tightly and then turned to Kuon and hit his chest a few times before she hugged the both of them.

"You, bad son!" Julie scolded him in a sob with tears streaming down her cheeks. "You didn't let me design and make your tux and her dress." She whined like a baby.

While Kuu was dialing Lory on his cellphone and put it on speaker for everyone to hear.

"So, did you like my surprise?" Lory asked as he answered the phone without any greeting.

"Is it true that my son married my daughter and didn't remember any of it?" Kuu demanded.

Lory sighed at the other end. "Yes, Kuu. We are currently investigating how that happened. I will immediately inform you if we find anything." Lory replied.

Kuu glared at Kuon. "Are you a hundred percent sure you don't remember doing it? Or you just took advantage of her?" He asked Kuon seriously like Kuon's life depended on his answer.

"Dad..." Kuon looked at his father in the eyes as dead serious as his life was and his eyes filled up a little with unshed tears and then spoke with heartfelt emotion in his voice that it could cut you deep, "If you can feel what I have been and still am feeling... You wouldn't... You wouldn't ask, you wouldn't even think of that question..."

"That's enough, Kuu." Julie chided her husband.

"Kuu, I already told you when you came here before. He wouldn't just stand there and do nothing if someone hurt her." Lory added. "Why would he intentionally hurt her himself, Kuu? Besides, shouldn't you be glad? You will have grandchildren soon."

Kuu stilled and looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"G-gr-grandchildren?" Kuu asked in realization. His face instantly transformed into an oya-baka as he thought of his grandchildren.

Kyoko blushed. Julie smiled and Kuon winced.

"Boss!" Kuon protested.

"I gotta go guys. Have fun!" He said in an obviously mischievous tone of voice.

Julie continued hugging both Kyoko and Kuon. "Congratulations." She whispered. "I'm sorry about before. I was just surprised and upset that I wasn't there on the most important day of the lives for my beloved children."

Kuon sighed in relief. "Thanks, Mom." He kissed his mother's forehead.

"It's late. We'll have more time talking tomorrow and the rest of the week. Get your things upstairs, Kuon." She ordered his son. "Thank God, we give all the maids and helpers a week off every Christmas. It would have been a disaster with them here. Oh, your room is the white guest room upstairs. Kuon's room haven't been touched for years and all the other guest rooms are still not cleaned yet. The last of the family left at noon today." She gave them one last hug. "Now, go rest. I'll take care of this daydreaming idiot here." She gestured at Kuu.

"Night, mom." Said Kuon to his mom and kissed her cheek. "Love you." He smiled a thoughtful smile that tugged at his mother's heart strings. Kuon stood up and was about to go but he stopped when Kyoko spoke.

"Uhm, w-we are going to s-share a b-bedroom?" Kyoko asked in surprise.

"Yes. Why?" Julie looked at her in complete confusion like she just ask to confirm if the sky was really blue. "Is there a problem with it?" Julie turned to his son for explanation.

Kuon opened his mouth to answer her but no sound came out. Julie's gaze went back and forth between his son and now officially daughter. "What? What did I say wrong? You two were already dating before you got married, right? So naturally, you already shared a bed many times."

Kyoko turned red from head to toe. Kuon lowered his head to hide his face. He was so embarrassed and was feeling really pathetic at the very moment. Julie looked at their reaction and froze.

"Yo-, you mean, you two weren't dating at all?" Julie asked the two newlyweds in front of her. "So, you haven't, you know, do-"

"Mom!" Kuon protested. "I am not discussing this subject with you. Let's go, Kyoko. You need to rest."

Kuon grabbed Kyoko gently by her arm and guided her quickly but gracefully to the foyer where there luggage were and the grand staircase that lead to the second floor and their room.

Kyoko was still stunned all the way to their room. She was startled out of her surprise at Julie's assumption when she heard the door to their bedroom closed and she felt very aware of the man she was with in that closed room. She could not speak and her eyes merely followed Kuon's every movement. He put all their luggage on the bed. He opened their suitcases to see which one was which and finally looked at Kyoko.

"We'll arrange everything in the dresser and closet tomorrow. I'll go get your bath ready while you get some clothes to change into to sleep in, alright?" Kuon instructed her and then went to the en suite bathroom and started the water running.

Kyoko dazedly and nervously obeyed Kuon's instructions and took out her bag of toiletries, fresh new pair of underwear and... _W-w-where are my pyjamas?! _She shouted in here head as she rummaged through her suitcase. _Oh no, Moko-san must have forgotten to pack my pyjamas! W-what am I going to wear? _

Kuon chose that very moment to come out of the bathroom. He noticed her vigorously rummaging through her suitcase. "Honey, what's wrong?" _What the hell? Did I really just call her honey? _Kuon asked himself, dumbfounded. _I have got to control myself. _He reminded himself.

On the other hand, Kyoko's heart tumbled and missed a beat when she heard Kuon called her honey. Then, she felt tingly inside which really confused the hell out of her. Her mouth opened but no sound came out. Kuon composed himself and look at her suitcase and the bed for clues. He saw her toiletries bag and her underwear that he tried so hard not to look at. Something clicked in his mind and he realized what she was looking for.

"You don't have your nightwear?" He asked and made his way at the foot of their bed where he layed his suitcase open on the bed. He got a comfy plain t-shirt and gave it to her. "Here, use this for now and we'll get you something at the store tomorrow."

Kyoko who was ready to flee like a criminal from her scene of crime, snatched the shirt he offered and flew to the bathroom for escape. Kuon watched her flee like the devil was after her and he sighed the heaviness he was feeling. He stood there for a moment, trying to make sense of what was happening to his life. He imagined a different life when they would finally be married. It was not like what he was experiencing now. He sighed again and looked for what he needed to prepare to retire for the night.

Kuon took a quick shower at the other guest bedroom's en suite bathroom. He changed into his pyjamas and went to the linen cabinet and was lucky enough to find two clean thick comforters and several blankets and bedsheets. He took the two clean comforters and a blanket. He made his way back to their room and found that Kyoko was still in her hot bath. So, he went to work with his sleeping arrangement. He fold the comforters in half and put it on top of each other to serve as his futon for the night. He placed them beside the bed on the floor. He closed their suitcases and got his work bag and her purse and put them all in a corner. He opened the side of the comforter and the blanket on the bed for her to slip in when Kyoko came to bed. He turned off one of the lamp light that was near his made-up bed for the night and he took one pillow from the queen size bed and went to sleep. But sleep did not come to him.

Kuon kept on listening for noises inside the bathroom. But he was hearing nothing. He moved restlessly around to find a comfortable position for sleep to finally take him. After a few while, he looked at the clock on the bedside table and realized that Kyoko has been sitting in the bath for thirty minutes already. He stood up abruptly and went to stand in front of the door. He knocked softly twice.

"Kyoko? Are you okay in there?" He called out to the other side of the door. But no sound came in response. It was so quiet inside and Kuon was getting worried. He knocked again a little harder and called out to her louder. Again, no sound came. He turned the knob on the door and found it locked. He called out to her again, but still nothing. He turned the knob harder and broke it to open the door. Inside, he saw her on the tub and fortunately, her head was laying over her arm that was stretched out on the side of the tub while she was fast asleep. He was so relieved to see her head above the water and had not slid underwater and drowned herself.

She was so fast asleep that he did not want to wake her, so he took a robe and put it on his bended leg as he squatted down in front of the tub. He took Kyoko out of the water and tried his very hardest not to look at her very alluring body. He sat her on his thigh and covered her with the robe without waking her. But she was completely out, she did not even stir. After covering her with the robe, he carried her to bed and slipped her under the warm comforter. He went back to the bathroom to fetch a towel to dry her hair and her limbs. But he did not dare touch her near her breast or thighs. He was already aroused as it was, he really did not need more dangerous temptations.

He paused and looked at her peaceful sleeping face for a minute as he caress her cheek. "What am I going to do with you, Kyoko?" He whispered at his very vulnerable and tempting wife in front of him and sighed. _I should be asking what am I going to do _without_ you?_ Kuon thought.

Kuon resumed what he was doing and worked fast on her. He covered her up to her neck with the thick comforter and went to lay himself on his self-made bed far away from Kyoko and her beautiful enticing body. He did not even dare kiss her cheek or forehead goodnight. But when he closed his eyes and prayed for sleep to come, all he saw was Kyoko's body ingrained to his mind's eyes. So he kept his eyes open and stared at the ceiling and thoroughly examined all the interior design of the walls, ceiling, crown molding and every single thing that would occupy his mind instead of the image of his wife's desirable body.

_Surely married life isn't supposed to be like this... _He thought and sighed again as his exhaustion caught up to him as sleep finally came and claimed him.

_Hhaaaa... *sigh* I had NO idea how to end this chapter, so I was busy trying to come up with one and just continue writing what would happen next. But when I checked the word count, I was surprised and like, "I've written that much already?" I was already at the end and didn't notice it... hehe It was a very busy week for me too, so the update was late. I'm sorry... It was my birthday and the celebrations got stretched out because my family was working. I was like celebrating every other day with a different family member. Lol Then I had to attend another birthday party... It was tiring... But I hope you like this chapter ^_^_

_The night wind is Julie. The lamb is Kyoko. The Shepard Boy is Kuon and the Mighty King is Kuu. The child will be his grandchild... Hahahaha Anyways, please tell me what you think of this chapter. I have a something like an agenda of what they will be doing in LA but the hardest part of writing this is their reactions, especially trying to keep it in character. But I will do my very best... I love challenges and puzzles, and love conquers all, so I'll breeze through it. Hahaha I know I'm cheesy, lame, dorky... I can't help it. ^_^_

_Anyways, thanks for all the love my fellow fanfic addicts... ^_^ I'm really happy to know that you're reading, reviewing, following and fav-ing my story! I'll have a smile pasted on my face all day when someone reviewed, follow, faved and just like my story... Love you too guys... Laterzzz! :D_


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Skip Beat and its characters...

_I'm really, really, really insanely sorry for the very super late update! ! ! I was blocked and busy... I didn't know how to proceed with the scene I started and I even thought of doing it over so I won't be block but I couldn't think of how to redo it either. So, I just waited for some ideas to pop in my mind and finally something did and I could finally finish. I just hope that you will like it. ^_^ Enjoy!_

**Recap: **

He paused and looked at her peaceful sleeping face for a minute as he caress her cheek. "What am I going to do with you, Kyoko?" He whispered at his very vulnerable and tempting wife in front of him and sighed. _I should be asking what am I going to do _without_ you?_ Kuon thought.

Kuon resumed what he was doing and worked fast on her. He covered her up to her neck with the thick comforter and went to lay himself on his self-made bed far away from Kyoko and her beautiful enticing body. He did not even dare kiss her cheek or forehead goodnight. But when he closed his eyes and prayed for sleep to come, all he saw was Kyoko's body ingrained to his mind's eyes. So he kept his eyes open and stared at the ceiling and thoroughly examined all the interior design of the walls, ceiling, crown molding and every single thing that would occupy his mind instead of the image of his wife's desirable body.

_Surely married life isn't supposed to be like this. _He thought and sighed again as his exhaustion caught up to him as sleep finally came and claimed him.

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 13:

_Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner_

_Sometimes I feel like my only friend _

_Is the city I live in, the city of Angels_

_Lonely as I am together we cry_

Kuon was sleeping peacefully when he heard someone calling his name. He heard the voice again and more clearly this time.

"Mmm..." The voice moaned.

When his brain recognized it was Kyoko's, he jerked up into a sitting position and turned his head to his right to look at Kyoko who was sleeping on the bed.

She was breathing heavily and she was trashing her head. Kuon was getting worried.

"Kuon!" She screamed.

Kuon's eyes widened in worry and confusion as to what had made Kyoko scream like that. He was thinking of many things that could be the explanation and the obvious answer was a bad dream. He was about to move to wake her up but he froze when Kuon noticed and realized what kind of scream it was. He knew in his gut he heard it before... in that forgotten night...

Their wedding night...

Tiny bits and pieces of his memory of that night flashed through his mind in the form of still pictures. His face flushed red and his little morning problem became a huge problem. While Kyoko, on the other hand, was still lying stunned on the bed as she woke up after her scream and was still breathing hard. Her head was blank. She just saw fireworks inside her head and everything felt like heaven and so right in the world. She layed there coming down from her high.

Knock! Knock!

The knock on the door made the two turned their heads to the door. "Kuon, honey? I'm sorry to disturb you two but it's already noon... Your father has already cooked brunch for all of us. Come down soon, okay?"

"W-e..." Kuon cleared his dry throat and tried to speak again. "We'll be right down, mom. Thanks!"

As Kuon replied with his dry, husky from sleep voice, Kyoko's body shivered involuntarily and stiffened. Silence reigned for a minute.

"...good morning..." Kuon greeted in a deep voice. He paused as he waited for her reply but Kyoko's mind was still blank. "Uhm... I'll go shower first."

Kuon got up and headed to the bathroom and desperately avoided looking at Kyoko's face because he knew that if he looked, he wouldn't be able to get it out of his head for the rest of the day and the days to come and his body would respond to it, too, every single time he thought about it. He stripped and took a cold shower.

"Kyaaaahhhh!" Kuon heard Kyoko's scream five minutes into his cold shower. Now, he knew that Kyoko had discovered she was naked under her robe and remembered that she had fallen asleep in the tub. He waited five more minutes before he stepped out of the shower and put on his bathrobe and toweled his hair.

When Kyoko heard the en suite bathroom door open, she jumped to the other side of the bed from where Kuon was standing and clutched the comforter to her chest. Her face was red and she looked up startled at Kuon. Kuon looked at her, also frozen in his position. He did not know what to do or say to her, so he just stayed silent and continued looking at her.

"Y-you... D-did you..." Kyoko was having a hard time asking him and Kuon frowned in confusion. "Did you get me out of the t-tub?"

Kuon stared at her dumbly for a minute before his brain could comprehend what she had asked. "Uh... Yeah." He replied just as dumbly.

Kyoko blushed from head to toe and was wishing that earth would open up and swallow her whole. "D-d-d-d-d-d-d-id'you s-s-ssssee?" She looked down on the bed cover and tightened her hold on it and pressed it even more to her neck. _You can hide under the covers. _Her mind suggested to her.

"Huh? uh, ah, oh, uhm, no, not really. No, not at all. Uhm, you don't have to worry at all. I, uh, I closed my eyes." Kuon flusteredly replied and Kyoko knew he had seen it all.

"Waaahhh!" Kyoko cried loudly and dived down the covers and felt like she could die of embarrassment.

"K...Kyoko?" Kuon called out after she cried out and went under the covers. He cautiously went to the edge of the side of the bed as his arm stretched out in want to comfort her. "I-I'm sorry. But I was really worried that you fell asleep and drowned. And I couldn't just leave you there in the tub. You might move and your head might go under and drown. I was terrified! Don't scare me like that again, okay?" Kuon's comforting turned to reprimanding. "What would have happened, if I fell asleep too and didn't check up on you when I did? I don't even want to think about it. If you feel like your so sleepy and you really have to have a bath, just soak for five minutes and get out, or better yet, take a shower. Okay?"

Kuon looked at Kyoko's form under the cover. She was face down on the bed and curled up in a ball position. Half a minute passed and he saw the bed cover moved with her head as she bobbed it up and down in a nod.

"...Sorry..." Kyoko said in a teary voice. Kuon took an arrow to the heart at her teary voice. "...Sorry you had to see such an unappealing body like mine..."

Kuon stared dumbfounded at her bed cover form. "What? Your body is not unappealing! You're gorgeous. You have nice breasts." Kuon replied without thinking.

"TSURUGA-SAN!" Kyoko brust out of the bed covers. "Ecchii da! Hentai!"

The door burst open and revealed a glowering Kuu. "Kuon! Are you forcing Kyoko to do hentai stuff with you?"

"NO! I was just saying she had nice breasts." Kuon defended himself right away and honestly. Too honestly.

"Ecchii!" Accused his father, too. "How'd you even see her breasts? I thought you forgot everything that happened?"

Kuon sighed heavily and sunk down on the edge of the bed. "She fell asleep on the tub last night, so I had to get her out and carry her to the bed. She didn't even stir in her sleep and she looked exhausted so I didn't wake her. I didn't know I was going to be accused of being a pervert!"

"Who's a pervert?" His mom appeared at the door behind his father.

"Kuon." Replied Kuu.

"Urgh! Can someone, please, shoot me?!" Kuon cried in frustration. His father glared at him for his evil wish. "Then, can I break your face?" Kuon asked his father sarcastically.

"Try it, if you can." His father smirked at him and then snorted. Kuon's face fell as he heard his mother chuckled.

"Change you two and come down to brunch. Oh, and Kyoko, don't mind them, they're just bonding since they haven't seen each other in a long time." Julie beamed at them and then dragged Kuu out of their bedroom and closed the door.

Kuon sighed and buried his face in his hands which were propped on his knees.

"...sorry..." Kyoko apologized for calling him a pervert which led to the misunderstanding to both of his parents. Kuon slowly stood and head for their luggage.

"It's okay. Let's forget about it, if it will make you feel at ease." Kuon replied. "I'll put your luggage in the bathroom so you can go change in private."

Kuon carried hers to the bathroom and went back to his with his back turned away from her so she would not feel conscious when she get out of bed.

They changed, went down to the kitchen and sat on the breakfast bar beside their parents. They greeted each other with a smile and proceeded to eat what Kuu had prepared for them. It looked like a buffet and they just had to get what they like and Kuu would finish the rest. There was Japanese and all kinds of other brunch. Julie picked hers and Kyoko got a Japanese style brunch. Kuon on the other hand, after his eyes looked at all what was prepared, turned and head to a cupboard and got himself a cereal and a bowl.

Kyoko's eyes narrowed and she ran to him and snatched the cereal and threw it in the trash. "That's not food, Tsuruga-san! That's just something edible that has no taste and nutrients!" Kyoko scolded Kuon as she folded her arms in front of her.

"It's light and I like it." Kuon argued. "And also if you keep calling me Tsuruga-san, it will be awkward. Just call me Kuon."

"That's not the point. You can just eat soup and omelet if you want a light breakfast. I'll even make you one." Kyoko replied still with her stern look.

Kuon feeling that it was a losing battle, sighed and surrendered. But not without a fight first. He walked to her and stopped in front of her."Tell you what, I'll eat a bowl of soup and an omelet if you call me Kuon from now on." Kuon replied with a smile, knowing that it was a win-win situation for the both of them. "Even corn would do, too."

Kyoko flushed pink at his suggestion but then she showed a determined looked. "If I call you K-k..." She took a deep breath. "Kuon...san from now on, you also have to eat a proper nutritional breakfast from now on, too."

Due to the happiness that he felt from hearing Kyoko calling him by his real first name, he nodded with a grin. Kyoko smiled brightly and then her eyes glinted. Kuon was startled by the look but it was only for a second because Kyoko already darted to his father to ask for ingredients. He sighed lightly but smiled as he sat next to his mother and watched Kyoko and his father happily darting around the kitchen cooking him omelet and also dishes that his father had requested to Kyoko.

Julie's smile sparkled in happiness as he watched his love struck son watched the girl he had fallen head over heels in love with. She nudged him with her elbow on the side lightly and smiled at him slyly. Kuon looked at his mother as she looked at somewhere else and followed her gaze. It landed on Kyoko and Kuon blushed a little.

"Yeah, yeah... Just don't tease me about it. I've had enough of it from the self-proclaimed ambassador of love already." Kuon said to his mother.

"I love her, too. After all, she brought you back to me." His mom replied with a gentle smile.

"You'll love her even more when you know fully her." Kuon replied.

Julie didn't get to reply because Kyoko had suddenly placed a bowl of soup and a plate of omelet in front of Kuon. Kyoko sat down with them, followed by Kuu and a plate of dish that Kyoko had made for their dad. They started eating and Julie had asked Kyoko things to slowly get to know the girl that captured that hearts of the guys he treasured in his life.

"How did you meet my Kuon, Kyoko?" Julie asked.

Kyoko looked at Julie and looked down in silence for a few seconds. "Uhm... Which one?"

"W-which one?" Julie repeated in surprise and confusion. "You first met my son multiple times?"

Kuon snorted and burst into a laugh when he heard his mother's confusing question. Kyoko and Julie glared at him and he stopped.

"Well, I met Kuon when I was six at the forest clearing in Kyoto and Tsuruga Ren when I was sixteen at LME when he helped Sawara-san threw me out of the building." Kyoko explained as she recalled those moments.

Julie gasped. "Kuon! How could you help throw a girl out of the building? On top of that, your wife!" Juliena scolded her son.

"Mom! We weren't married then. We just met. I didn't even know at that time that she was the little girl I met at the clearing. Besides, she wasn't really serious at entering showbiz then, so we thought she was just a fan who wanted to get close to famous celebrities." Kuon defended to his mom.

"Fine! But treat women more gently. I thought you're father taught you that already." Julie glared at Kuu.

"Yes, mom, he taught me and I will not do it again. I promise." Kuon smiled at his mother gently and Julie gave in and smiled back and nod at him.

Julie asked more questions to Kyoko. Kuon noticed that his mother just wanted to know what was his and Kyoko's relationship before they had gotten stoned and married based on Julie's questions to Kyoko. Kuon was a little ashamed to let his mom know of how little progress he had in wooing Kyoko. But finally, after they finished their brunch. Julie changed the topic and started asking Kyoko what kind of clothes she likes. Kuon mentioned that Kyoko had no nightwear and Julie was excited to have another clothing that she could buy for Kyoko.

Kuon told Kyoko that she could go up first to prepare for her shopping with Julie. Kuu went to prepare too because he had a job scheduled for that afternoon. When the two were gone, Kuon faced his mother and looked at her seriously.

"Don't buy her sexy lingeries for her nightwear." He told his mom.

"W-what?" Then Julie realized why. "Oh ho ho~ You won't be able to resist?" Julie smiled slyly.

"Mom, please! Don't torture me!" Kuon pleaded.

"It's not torture Kuon if you don't fight it."

"Mom! Ugh, whatever. Just don't buy those, okay? Besides, she's far too modest to wear those." Kuon said as he got up and went to change himself for the outing.

* * *

><p>Kuon was driving while the two were at the backseat talking animatedly with each other. It was a little weird for him at first to be driving on the right side of the road again but he was getting used to it. He was after all a good driver. Kuon dropped off his mother and new wife at his mom's boutique in Rodeo Drive. Then he drove off, not really knowing where he was going.<p>

He just drove and drove around LA... The city he grew up in...

Memories came flooding through his mind as he drove through familiar roads and areas. He saw all the things that remained unchanged and those that didn't. There were a lot of changes, since the constant thing in this world was change, especially in a city like LA.

He drove around to acquaint himself of his hometown again until, he finally arrived at the place where he had unconsciously wanted to go.

He gazed upon the many flat headstones on the vast green grass lawn as the sky was starting to be painted in orange as the sun began to set.

It was a beautiful view from the hill...

...from the hill where one of those headstones had his best friend's name on it...

* * *

><p><em>Yayy! Finally finished... I hope you enjoyed and liked it... Sorry if it's a little OOC... And I apologize also for any grammatical error and typos above... I'm so excited for the next chapter! I hope you are too! ^_^ I'm really sorry for the late update... I'll try my best to update more quickly. Though I can't promise anything. Thank you so much for all the support in reading, reviewing, following, fav-ing and just liking my story... Love you guys! Read yah next chap! :D<em>


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** uhm, this is FANfiction so Original Skip Beat story, plots, character, whatever... I don't own them... Capice?

_Soo... Here's another one to make up for my very late update before the previous chapter. Excuse my grammatical errors and typos. Me only human. Lol so I hope you will enjoy this chap. Ta ta~ ^_^_

**Recap:**

Memories came flooding through his mind as he drove through familiar roads and areas. He saw all the things that remained unchanged and those that didn't. There were a lot of changes, since the constant thing in this world was change, especially in a city like LA.

He drove around to acquaint himself of his hometown again until, he finally arrived at the place where he had unconsciously wanted to go.

He gazed upon the many flat headstones on the vast green grass lawn as the sky was starting to be painted in orange as the sun began to set.

It was a beautiful view from the hill...

...from the hill where one of those headstones had his best friend's name on it...

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 14:

_I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day_

_Take me to the place I love_

_Take me all the way_

Kuon didn't know how much time passed but he just keep on watching that beautifully painted sky and occasionally glancing in the direction of where he remembered the headstone which bore the name of his one and only best friend.

He just looked and looked... But he could never find the courage or the strength to move and get out of his car and walk to where his best friend was laid to rest. He couldn't... He just couldn't do it. He was paralyzed by the same darkness that had drowned him in the last five years of his life.

_Ringggggg! Ringggggg!_

The cellphone that his dad gave for him to use in the country rang. It woke him up from deep in thought. He looked at the phone and saw his mom's picture and name. He took a few moments to take a deep breath and calm himself.

"Hello, mom?"

"Tsuru- I mean, K-kuon...san!"Kyoko just couldn't say his name without honorifics. "Please help me!" She pleaded at the other end.

"Kyoko? What happened?" Kuon replied in surprise and worry.

"I-it's too much! K-ka... K-kaa-san's giving me a lot of clothes!" Kyoko exclaimed. "They're so expensive! I think she's planning my wardrobe for the next whole year! And I don't even know where I'll put even a quarter of these when I get home! It's not like I can just accept all these. But I don't want to be rude so I should accept just a little but THIS IS JUST ALL TOO MUCH!"

Kuon was stunned for a few seconds at his new wife's outburst. Though he saw this coming when he dropped them off before at Rodeo Drive, known throughout the world as the epicenter of luxury fashion. He also knew his mother was so excited and predicted she would go overboard. So, surely Kyoko would freak out. He smiled a small smile as he remembered how he made up a fairytale story just to make sure that Kyoko accepted the princess Rosa stone.

"Okay, okay, calm down, babe. Mom's just excited since her wish came true to finally have a daughter and have mother-daughter bonding with her." Kuon assured her. Getting familiar of his hometown again had made him be himself again. Hence, him calling Kyoko, 'babe'. "Just wait for a while and I'll be there as soon as I can. Oh, and I'll talk to mom when I get there, okay? Just hang in there for a little longer. Bye."

Kuon hang up and drove as fast as he could. Good thing he still remember his way around and that three in the afternoon to eight in the evening were the rush hours in Los Angeles. Traffic in those hours in the freeways are really horrible. So, he took one of the canyons and enjoyed the dizzying ride there. After more than half an hour, he looked for a place to park near his mom's boutique and got out of the car to go save his wife from his overexcited mom.

He opened the door of his mom's boutique and he was feeling nostalgic. One of the sale's lady hired by his mom, went to him and asked if she could help him. The lady was obviously batting her eyelashes at him and he had obviously ignored that fact too.

He smiled his fake bright smile to her and said, "I'm here to pick up my wife."

The lady's eyes widened and her mouth opened in surprise. But she caught herself and tried to compose herself again.

Kuon took pity and told her, "She's with the owner."

"Oh..." The lady said. "I see. This way please."

She led him to the back where the private rooms for fitting were located. Even though he knew his way around the store, he just let the lady show him because he was still not ready to announce his presence as Julie and Kuu's son again in public. It might leak to the media who always had ears like a bat and everything would be blown out of proportion. He wasn't ready for that, so he went along and enjoyed anonymity for a while.

The lady was about to knock on the door and announce his presence to the people inside the big luxurious fitting room. But he stopped her and told her to leave. She looked like she was about to protest but Kuon told her that he personally knew the owner/designer Juliena Hizuri and the lady left reluctantly. Kuon knocked on the door and waited for someone to open.

"Tsu- Kuon-san!" Kyoko called desperately when she opened the door obviously in a hurry or just wanted to flee the room. "I'm so glad you're here! Please make her stop!"

But Kuon was so stunned as he looked at Kyoko. Her hair were slightly tousled, eyes bright, lips pouty, and she was wearing a very, insanely sexy white body hugging lace halter babydoll. Kuon's mouth went dry. An image of Kyoko flashed through his mind. She was wearing her wedding dress and holding a single stem of rose and she was walking towards him.

_**~Kyoto, Tanaka Ryokan on the 25**__**th**__** of Decemeber at 4:30 PM~**_

The man who was very dashing in his tuxedo stood waiting in the middle of the bridge with a minister to the right side of him. He was facing the the other end of the bridge where he was expecting his blushing bride would walk very slowly towards him. When he caught a glimpse of her, his breath caught in his throat and his face broke into an eager smile.

The blushing bride was walking down the aisle with her beautiful and modest white dress, her face covered by a simple white thin veil which did not in one least bit hid how beautiful she was and her slender hands held a single stem of red rose. When she saw him standing there waiting for him, her eyes twinkled and her smile lit up her face. Even though, there wasn't any music playing in the background but a beautiful enchanting wedding march was playing in the minds of the bride and groom who were gazing at each other's eyes lovingly like it was a fairytale movie coming to life itself. It was magical, enchanting and out of this world.

When she finally reach him, they held hands and still not breaking eye contact with each other. The minister cleared his throat and started the ceremony but the two still had eyes for each other only.

"Dearly beloveds and honored guests: We are gathered here today in the sight of God and the company assembled to witness the giving and receiving of the marriage vows." The minister started the ceremony, still looking at the eager bride and groom in front of him who looked like they were not paying attention to him.

"Marriage is an institution ordained of God and is not to be entered in lightly or in jest and only after much consideration." He advised to the bride and groom and looked for any indication of them hearing him and paying attention to him. But nothing, they only stared at each other hungrily and longingly. So he continued.

"Do you, Hizuri Kuon, take this woman, Mogami Kyoko, as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto her as long as you both shall live?"

Kuon's beam widened in excitement and eyes glittered in happiness as he answered in a clear voice. "I do."

"Do you, Mogami Kyoko, take this man, Hizuri Kuon, as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto him as long as you both shall live?"

"I do!" Kyoko squealed in pure delight and she was beyond ready to kiss her husband. But the minister told them to put their rings on each other and add their own vows if they wanted as he held the rings out to them in his hand.

Kuon picked up her ring and positioned it in her ring finger.

"Kyoko, I give you this ring as a promise of my love for you and a symbol of our unity. Your beauty, heart and mind inspire me to be the best person I can be. I promise to love you for eternity, respecting you, honoring you, being faithful to you and sharing my life with you. I love you." Kuon vowed as he slid the ring to his finger.

"Corn, I don't know what to say..." Kyoko told him honestly with a teary voiced as she was so touched by his vow to her. "But I know that when we are apart, we are clumsy and make stupid mistakes. But when I am with you, I am healed and happy as you are with me. I, I love you. I love you as my fairy prince Corn. I love you as my respected sempai Ren. I love you as my brother Cain. I love you the most just as you are, Kuon. And I will love you for the rest of my life. Forever."

"By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife and what God hath joined together, let no man nor woman put asunder." The minister didn't bother to hide his smile as he saw how eager the two were for his next words. "You may now kiss your bride."

Kuon immediately pulled Kyoko to him and swooped down to do what the minister just told him. He kissed his new wife. Now, there was no holding back.

The minister blushed a little as he left the couple to their own world and thoughts of their honeymoon as people can clearly see. They were devouring each other with their lips. A love suppressed, now finally was free to follow its wants and needs to its hearts content.

_**~Back to present...~**_

"Koun-san?" Kyoko looked at her frozen husband.

Kuon was startled awake. _What the hell was that? _He yelled inside his head at the memory that flooded trough his mind.

"Kyoko, honey! Here's some summer outfits that I've design just for you when Kuu told me you were coming for new years." Julie called from the adjoining open door of the stock room.

"Kuon, please!" Kyoko pleaded him in panic to the point of calling his name without honorifics at all.

Kuon did not have time to think because from the tone of his mom, he was a hundred percent sure that she could not be talked out of letting Kyoko go anytime soon. So he did the only thing he could before his mom came out and trapped them all day in the fitting room. Kuon took off his jacket and wrapped it around Kyoko. He scooped her up princess style as Kyoko screamed in surprise. Kuon bolted out of the boutique with Kyoko in his arms and into one of his dad's car, a Mercedes Benz CLS. Kuon started the engine and shifted the gear into drive and off they went.

Three minutes after Kuon drove off, his phone rang and he knew it was his mother. He gave it to Kyoko and told her to not answer it.

"Are you sure?" Kyoko asked worriedly.

"She'll get over it." Kuon replied. "Just ignore it and text her that she can bring everything she wants you to try on home and we'll look at it later."

Kyoko didn't argue and just obeyed because she just wanted to escape from Julie's fashion bombardment. She had been changing outfits nonstop for the whole two and a half hours. Imagine hour many clothes she had tried on in that span of time? She was so happy and excited at the beginning and she didn't want to disappoint Julie. But Julie started letting her try on the winter and the spring collection and she was on her way to the summer collection when finally Kuon arrived. But what really freaked Kyoko out was that anything that looked good on Kyoko, Julie gave it to her, which were most of the clothes she had tried on. So she started panicking.

"Call dad too and tell him to pick mom up. He should be done with his interview already. He went out ahead of us this afternoon." Kuon told her.

Kyoko dialed Kuu's number and then put in on speaker. Kuon explained to his dad what happened and Kuu told Kuon to not worry and just take Kyoko out in town and enjoy themselves. Kyoko hang up and Kuon told her to turn off his phone. And silence filled the car.

"So, where are we going?" Kyoko broke the silence and asked curiously. "I can't really go out in this outfit, you know. I don't even have shoes on."

"Oh, sorry about that." He apologized and they headed to the nearest store. Kuon left her for a few minutes in the car to buy her flip-flops and they went on to the destination Kuon had in mind. Santa Monica pier.

They rode in silence and Kyoko was engrossed by her surroundings. After almost half an hour, they finally arrived and Kuon parked the car. Kyoko was still wearing Kuon's jacket which covered her to just above her knees. Kuon offered to carry her to the store around the corner at 3rd street promenade, but she protested vehemently because it was very embarrassing.

They rounded the corner and went into American Eagle outfitters. Kuon immediately went in search for an outfit for her so she can change into something decent. After much browsing and arguing with Kyoko, she was finally inside the fitting room and changing into a white sweater dress and a suede bootie. They couldn't find a thick coat for her in there so Kyoko was still wearing Kuon's jacket. Kuon paid for the items and Kyoko couldn't argue because she did not have her wallet with her.

They went next door to Victoria's secret to buy Kyoko's sleepwear. Kuon and Kyoko awkwardly went in. Kyoko was embarrassed because everything in there were sexy lingeries for women. For Kyoko they are private and too intimate to share with somebody else especially to a guy. But there she was entering the shop with her new husband who was previously her most respected sempai. Kyoko was blushing furiously and her movements robotic.

Kuon, on the other hand, was being tortured by his own thoughts. The picture-like flashback he had when he woke up that day flooded his mind and Kyoko's sexy outfit in his mother's boutique taunted him. It was pure torture. He was at war with himself inside but his face was blank on the outside. He focused his mind on getting things done so he would be able to escape hell much faster and that he would not embarrass himself in front of lots of people.

Kyoko chose one simple cotton pajama, but Kuon added two more satin and silk pajama. She tried to argue but Kuon already walked towards other stuff. He saw some tights and picked one for Kyoko. He was on his way to pay for it but a thought stopped him. He went to Kyoko who was still a little flushed looking at all the sexy underwear around her.

"Do you want anything else? Maybe a pair of underwear?" He said and held up one of the underwear in front of him. It was a purple lace thong that if worn, it won't really cover much of anything. Kuon looked at Kyoko, curious for her reaction. But he saw a change in her eyes and she wasn't blushing anymore.

Kyoko slightly leaned her head to the right and looked Kuon straight in the eyes with a twinkle and a sexy lazy smile. "Are you gonna buy it for me, nii-san?"

Kuon was startled at first but he was determined to not be played and outdone by a mere character. He smirked at her and leaned into her ear and whispered in a husky voice, "Only if you let me see you try this on tonight."

Kuon's words painted a vivid picture in Kyoko's mind and she broke character as she blushed from head to toe.

* * *

><p><em>WOW! I didn't expect this chapter to end this way. I planned to go all the way til they finish the night and their spontaneous date, but this scene just jumped out at me and it was a good way to end it... I know, I'm cruel for ending it this way but I like it. Sorry. I hope you enjoyed me torturing Kuon in this chapter. There's still more coming so look forward to it. Clue for next chapter will be closure for Kuon. That's not really a clue though coz that says a lot in itself. But I really hope that you like this chapter. Though, I had a crisis today. Something happened to my laptop charger and I was worrying that I won't be able to update because my laptop's battery was already running out and I haven't finished this chapter yet, but my dad's the best technician ever and he fixed it! I was so happy and relieved. <em>

_So anyways, thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, liking, following and fav-ing my stories. Love you guys so much. And now, I'll start thinking about my update on Baby Ren. After I eat though coz my stomach's grumbling already. Lol read yah laterzzz... ^_^_


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I'm poor and can't afford to own Skip beat! And all its characters, plots and whatsoever... That's why I'm only letting my imaginations run wild in here... ^_^

_Sorry for the late update... I tried my best to proofread all that below, but if there is a lot of typos and grammar errors, please excuse my incompetency and my lack of sleep... I hope you enjoy it! ^_^_

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 15:

_Under the bridge downtown, is where I drew some blood_

_Under the bridge downtown, I could not get enough_

_Under the bridge downtown, forgot about my love_

_Under the bridge downtown, I gave my life away_

Kyoko slightly leaned her head to the right and looked Kuon straight in the eyes with a twinkle and a sexy lazy smile. "Are you gonna buy it for me, nii-san?"

Kuon was startled at first but he was determined to not be played and outdone by a mere character. He smirked at her and leaned into her ear and whispered in a husky voice, "Only if you let me see you try this on tonight."

Kuon's words painted a vivid picture in Kyoko's mind and she broke character as she blushed from head to toe.

...

"OMG! Have you seen Kuu's new movie?" One of the three teenagers who looked like about Kyoko's age squealed loudly just six feet to their right which startled Kyoko and distracted Kuon. "Wanna see it ton-"

"Girl, check out that totally hot guy behind you!" The other girl excitedly whispered, loud enough for both Kyoko and Kuon to hear. The three girls ogled at Kuon's spectacular body and mesmerizing face. He moved away from Kyoko's ear and the girls' faces fell as they saw Kyoko with her flushed cheeks. "Too bad his with a girl already."

"You can put this on in the fitting room, so your legs won't get cold." Kuon gave her the tights. "I'll wait by the cashier to pay for all these when you come out."

Kyoko who desperately wanted to disappear did not argue and took that given opportunity to escape so she can have time and space to calm her heart into a normal rate.

When they came out of the store, they walked down 3rd street promenade toward the beach. Kuon put a hand lightly on Kyoko's waist. Kyoko didn't protest because there were a lot of people, she might get separated from him and get lost in that unfamiliar place. When they were walking, Kuon noticed the AMC theater across the street and saw the title of his father's movie, the three girls were talking about before, in the list of their now playing movie.

"Do you want to watch dad's movie?" Kuon asked her. Kyoko looked up at him with wide eyes of excitement and he chuckled. That was enough of an answer he needed. "Alright, let's go buy the tickets first and then will go get something to eat before the movie starts."

They bought the tickets and thankfully, they were early enough to get good seats. They still have an hour wait, so they went next door to Stefano's Pizzeria. Kuon did not imagine taking Kyoko to a pizza place for their first date, but he was glad to give her an experience of a simple American date night and he knew that Kyoko would feel uncomfortable if he took her to a fancy restaurant. The atmosphere in the pizza place they went to was easy and laid back. Not that formal. It helped Kyoko be at ease with him, which Kuon was happy about. He did not want anymore tension and awkwardness between them.

It was a fun dinner where Kuon talked about the promenade and the famous and beautiful sights he thought she should see while they were there. Kyoko was fascinated. He had not been to any wonderful places in her entire life except for school field trips and job sites she had with LME. She was so excited to go and see for herself the places Kuon had described to her.

It was time for their movie and they went to watched it. They were both conscious of each other sitting so close but as soon as the movie started and they saw their father acting, they were engrossed in the movie. When the movie finished, they were both impressed by their father's performance and were filled with determination to act as good a job as their father had done in the movie they had just watched. Kuon proposed for them to continue walking to the beach and show her the pier. On their way, they window shopped at the store they passed by. They went inside the Apple store and played games on the iPad like a bunch of teenagers hanging out in the mall. They went inside Abercrombie & Fitch and bought Kyoko a nice winter jacket. So, Kuon was finally wearing his jacket. Although, he was enjoying and getting used to seeing her in his jacket.

They walked to the pier and enjoyed the sound of the waves, the lights reflecting on the water and the very cold breeze. Kyoko looked longingly at the big Ferris wheel with its beautiful lights dancing. Kuon took hold of her hand and tugged at it for her to follow him. They bought their tickets. Their picture was taken. And finally, they were inside a cart. It started slowly because they were filling all the carts but then it started turning up and down. The view of the city and the black horizon from the very top was the best. It was very peaceful as Kuon wrapped his arms around Kyoko when she started shivering because of the cold wind. She couldn't protest because it felt nice and she stopped shivering when he hugged him. They just looked at the amazing stars and the captivating star like city lights of LA.

"I went to Rick's grave today." He suddenly blurted out. He didn't know why but he just felt like he needed to tell her. He felt her turn her head to the side to look at him. "Well, at least I tried to... I was there. I could see where his headstone lie from inside the car... But I couldn't move and get out of the car to go stand by his g...g-grave."

Kyoko felt his desperate emotions and she gave his arm a squeeze in comfort. She instinctively snuggled more into Kuon's body.

"I'd like to meet him." She replied and then looked up at him.

"The man who saved you..." She stroke his cheek which was cold from the freezing breeze with her equally freezing fingertips.

"And gave me the opportunity to see you again... My fairy prince..." She whispered to him.

A memory flashed through Kuon's head in Karuizawa where he comforted her as she cried in his arms because that beagle told her Corn might have been dead. He tried his very best to console her in words too without revealing too much to her. Kuon tightened his arms around her at the painful memory.

_It seems that all I ever do is make her cry... And worry about me. _He thought sadly. _I'm so selfish. I'm her husband now and what I should do is to make her happy each day that she is with me... Not make her feel sad or hurt or cry... _

_'That is a chicken. That is the weakness that has taken residence within you.' _Rick's voice thundered inside his head. Kuon's lips curved in a mixture of a tight smile and a grimace.

"Do..." Kuon hesitated. "Do you want to accompany me tomorrow?"

Kyoko smiled and unconsciously snuggled her head in the crook of his neck. "I'd love too." She whispered in response.

They arrived back home at almost midnight already and Kuu had already seduced Julie to sleep and good-naturedly persuaded her not wait up for the newly weds. The next morning, Kuon and Kyoko came down to breakfast already dressed up for the day at 8:30 in the morning. They greeted each other good mornings as they sat down on the small table that overlooked the sundeck and open wide back yard.

Julie apologized to Kyoko for getting carried away yesterday. Kyoko forgave her immediately and with her usual over assurance that it was okay and explained that it was just too much for her. Julie agreed to tone her excitement down a bit and told Kyoko that she would also tone the amount of the clothes she would give to her, too. But unbeknownst to Kyoko, Julie was already mentally planning to gradually send Kyoko the clothes Julie wanted to give her when the right season of the year comes.

While the ladies continued their talk about clothes, especially the clothes which magically appeared in Kyoko's closet in their room upstairs, Kuu noticed that Kuon was very quiet and was...nervous. He noticed that Kyoko kept trying everything to make him eat something that is both nutritious and will actually fill his stomach. But in the end, he only ate scrambled eggs and toasted bread.

"Why are you up early? You could sleep in, you know." Kuu inquired curiously. Kuon didn't answer, his mind was somewhere else at the moment.

"He's taking me somewhere today." Kyoko replied in Kuon's stead.

"Where?" Julie asked.

"Uhm, to the park." Kyoko cautiously replied.

"What park? Amusement park?" Kuu asked.

"Uh..." Kyoko drawled as she avoided their gaze. "Quite the opposite." She replied softly.

They were all startled when a loud scraping of the floor sounded as Kuon suddenly stood up from his chair."Let's go, Kyoko. Just call us if you want to make plans with us later." Then he turned towards the main door.

Kyoko stood up hurriedly and clumsily cleaning her and kuon's plates from the table. "Leave it, Kyoko-chan." Kuu told her.

"But-" Kyoko protested. Kuu and Julie realized what Kyoko meant when they saw Kuon's face and they looked at Kyoko thoughtfully as their eyes communicated to her. Kyoko could see the understanding and longing in their eyes. They wanted to support and comfort their son but they knew that they were not the right person for that. She was... and they were entrusting their hopes and pleading with her to support and help their son overcome the shadow that has been following Kuon for more than six years already.

"Leave it." Julie reached over and put her hand on Kyoko's. Kyoko whispered her thanks and goodbye as she too, turned around and headed after Kuon.

* * *

><p>It was a silent drive. Well, not so silent since Kuon turned on the radio in the car to distract him of where they were headed. Kyoko didn't try to get him out of his thoughts. She was nervous enough on her own. She was really worried for him, if he could really handle it standing over his best friend's grave.<p>

_It must be really hard._ Kyoko thought and then tried to imagine herself visiting Kanae's grave after witnessing her death and partly causing it. Shivered in pure dread and quickly erased it from her mind. She looked outside onto the sidestreet since they already exited the freeway.

"Ah!" Kyoko suddenly exclaimed and Kuon was startled out of his thought and turned his head to look at her. "Tsu, I mean, Kuon-san, there's a flower shop over there! Let's buy some for Rick-san."

Kuon grimaced when he heard her say his friend's name but then his eyes lit at the prospect of giving his friend something when he visit him. He maneuvered the car towards the small flower shop. Kyoko got out and waited for Kuon who was hesitating. Kyoko gladly helped Kuon picked the flowers and the shop owner arranged it for them in a small plastic vase.

It kind of relieved a little of the stress Kuon was feeling but he was still nervous and afraid. They finally went inside the memorial park. Kuon drove to where his best friend was. He stopped the car and put it on park. Kuon looked to his right where Kyoko guessed where Rick's grave was. She noticed he looked fragile and worried. She unconsciously put her hand on his. He instantly grasped her hand and squeezed it like it was his life line. She squeezed it back in silent encouragement. They stayed like that for several minutes. Then, Kuon looked at her intensely and slowly brought her hand up to his lips and kiss it as he closed his eyes. He breathed deep and let go of her hand.

"Thank you, Kyoko." Kuon showed her a small tight smile. "Let's go."

Kyoko stared at him dazedly as he opened his door and got out. Kyoko finally snapped out and clumsily scrambled out the car too. She brushed her hair and smoothed her dress, one of the dresses and clothes Kyoko had found in his and Kuon's closet. Apparently Julie had raided her luggage when they had a great time out in town that night and replaced all her old clothes. She could not find one single piece of clothing she had in the closet. She did not even know where her luggage bag were. She just woke up the next day to find her bag gone. She did not noticed it last night because it was late and she changed into the pajamas they just bought and her toiletries were already in the bathroom. She was a little relieved to find that Julie had not replaced those too.

Kyoko wore the bootie Kuon had bought for her last night at American Eagle, the tights from Victoria's secret and the winter jacket from Abercrombie & Fitch. She found it comfortable and simple than the ones she found in her closet, which looked really expensive. She also wore a scarf which she found in her new _closet_ with a variety of them and a variety of beautiful and expensive looking shoes! Julie really did go all out.

Kyoko took the vase of flower at the floor of the car in her side of the seat and went around to join Kuon. Kyoko took the flowers from her and took hold of her hand. She felt his hand was trembling a little. She felt her cheeks flamed still from his kiss on her hand and now for holding her hand so intimately. She could not possibly let go because of a simple embarrassment when she felt that he really needed her from the bottom of his heart and the pits of his darkened soul.

They began walking to Rick's grave. Kuon felt like the darkness was enveloping and consuming him. But he could feel the warmth of her hand in his and he focused on that warmth to overcome the darkness that is trying to paralyze him and trap him into oblivion. With every step, his feet began to feel heavy but his heart was lifting them up with the help of his beloved wife next to him. Kuon was determined to introduce his beautiful wife to his one and only best friend. He was going to tell Rick that he had made her do the magic which worked wonders since he survived the filming of Tragic Marker. Determined, hopeful thoughts, a fighting spirit and a heart full of love... Those were the things that finally brought Kuon to his friend. The friend who fought so hard for him to have a shot at happiness and love. He was not going to go run away again like a coward.

_Rick deserves more than me running away from him. _Kuon thought to himself. _He deserves a lifetime of gratitude..._ His eyes pooling from unshed tears as he stared at his friend's name on his flat headstone on the ground in front of him. _He deserve to see the life he saved flourish and achieve the dreams he wants me to achieve... Dreams that I kept hidden from everyone except him... _

Kuon's legs gave out and he flopped to the green grass. Kyoko was startled at first but sat with him. He put the vase of flowers near the headstone. And there was silence as Kuon battled with himself and the wind blew cold against them.

"...H-hey... Rick." Kuon finally greeted. But silence followed it after. "I-I'm sorry it so long for me to visit you..."

Kyoko gave his hand a squeeze. She knew how hard it was for Kuon to be there. He squeezed it tightly back as he gave a small sigh and finally smiled. For the first time he smiled without the darkness and guilt weighing each shot at happiness down. He brought her hand again to his lips and gave it a kiss.

"I'd like to finally introduce you to my..." He looked at her and held her eyes. "Kyoko-chan... My wife."

Kyoko's eyes were dazed and she felt not only her face but her whole body heat up... And most of all, her heart. She could feel there was this spot in her chest that was filling her up with warmth and something like fullness... Contentment... She could not continue to speculate on that strange feeling because Kuon started talking again.

"She helped me through all this..." He looked back to the headstone again. "Knocked some sense into me." He gave a light laugh. "You'd really like her, you know... She makes sure to get more meat and all those nutritious food into me. She scolds me like I'm a five year old. I bet you would enjoy that."

Kyoko froze at that but relaxed when Kuon only laughed. She noticed she like the sound of this new carefree laugh. It didn't sound anywhere near the calm and compose Tsuruga Ren image. She continued looking at him. His blue eyes twinkled like the sunlight and looked so clear and without shadows... Finally free...

"She challenges me to take new heights both in my personal and work life. She just came back into my life one day and continued what you started... And finally, she killed the chicken inside me this time." Kuon chuckled as he looked back again to Kyoko and saw the confusion. Then, he saw the gears on her brain turn and turn until he saw in her eyes the moment it clicked. He smiled at her.

_I don't know how you do it or how your mind works, Kyoko... But somehow you always figure me out... Even way before I figure myself out... _Kuon thought as he paused for a few minutes and looked at the wide open, peaceful surroundings. He sighed.

"I'm sorry about Tina." He finally said in a soft voice. "I know how much you love her and she to you..."

...

"...I-m s-orry... I took all that away from both of y-ou..." His voice cracked and his eyes pooled. He quickly wiped it with his thumb and pointer finger on each eyes. He hang his head. "I-m really sorry..."

Kyoko put her free hand to his shoulder and rubbed it in comfort. The gesture seemed to open the floodgates of his emotions as he sobbed and slightly turn his upper body towards her to bury his head on the crook of her neck. Kyoko's free hand on his shoulder went to his back and comforted him.

"It's okay, Kuon... You're okay... Everything's okay..." Kyoko whispered to Kuon over and over as she soothed him like a child who fell down and hurt himself. She rubbed his back and then her hand went up to stroke his head and down to the back of his neck and back again and again.

They didn't know how much time passed as they stayed like that and as Kuon let it out and slowly calmed down. He slowly came back to his senses and he was feeling like a big baby. He was so embarrassed his face turned red. He buried his face even more into the crook of her neck. Kyoko gave a little squeak in surprise when she felt his warm lip on her skin and she slightly squeezed Kuon's head between her shoulder and head. But their little intimate moment was interrupted when a sound of laughter pierced through their ears.

Kuon looked up from his position to look in the direction of the laughter was coming from. He saw a little boy in a distance running excitedly towards him holding a plane up in the air. As the little boy came closer, it hit him in the gut when he got a good look at him. He blinked twice and five times more to clear his vision of what he thought he was hallucinating. But his gut feeling was confirmed when he heard a voice calling to the little boy.

"Ricky, be careful! Don't ran too fast, sweetie!" A female voice called obviously to the little boy.

Kuon was blinded as he recognized the female's voice. The voice that until now is still recorded in his memory. The voice that called him...

Murderer...

* * *

><p><em>Wooooooooow... Didn't think I'd end it that way. It just really shows that my mind has a mind of its own when it comes to writing these stories and chapter by chapter... LOL I don't know what's gonna happen until it is written already. Lol I just roughly imagined a different ending and even thought I would maybe go ahead and continue writing until they finish the closure and everything. But as I kept writing, it just ended on its own... Lol <em>

_Anyways, sorry for the late update, I was a little stuck on how to write mundane, dull scenes or as I call it on my own, transition scenes... You know like a summary of what they did that day or the ride from the house to the park. I get bored and uninspired writing that. I was trying to persuade myself to write it and I was also so busy last week. I'm so tired. Well anyway, I hope you liked the development so far. and I feel like I'm still so far from the favorite scene that my mind has been obsessed about since I wrote this story. But I'm so excited though, especially because I can't wait to share to you guys the roles that would totally fit Ren and Kyoko! But I'm still figuring out how to get there... but as you know me, I don't plan ahead, so I'll know what's going to happen as I write it. I think this is the longest chapter I've written yet for this story too... Sooooo... I'm gonna switch gears and think and think of the next chapter of Baby Ren coz I know you guys want to know the riot that's going to happen there. Wish me luck that I will write it faster... ^_^_

_Thank you for your continuing support in reading, reviewing, following, fav-ing, liking and loving my stories... Love you guys... See yah next update... I need sleep now... I'm sleep depraved this whole week. I don't know what happened to my sleeping time or my head but I'm losing sleep... Well, night... -_- zzzZZZZZ..._


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Skip Beat or any of its characters...

_Excuse my incompetency for the grammatical error and typos below. Please enjoy this chapter! ^_^_

_Recap:_

Kuon looked up from his position to look in the direction of the laughter was coming from. He saw a little boy in a distance running excitedly towards him holding a plane up in the air. As the little boy came closer, it hit him in the gut when he got a good look at him. He blinked twice and five times more to clear his vision of what he thought he was hallucinating. But his gut feeling was confirmed when he heard a voice calling to the little boy.

"Ricky, be careful! Don't ran too fast, sweetie!" A female voice called obviously to the little boy.

Kuon was blinded as he recognized the female's voice. The voice that until now is still recorded in his memory. The voice that called him...

Murderer...

**The** **Great** **Escape**

Chapter16:

_If you're lost and alone or you're sinking like a sto__ne_

_carry on__..._

_may your past be the sound__of your feet upon the ground_

_carry on..._

Kyoko felt Kuon stiffened. She pulled back from him to see what was wrong. His face was ashen and his eyes sinking into that darkness again. Kyoko touched his cheek and he felt him getting cold.

"Kuon... W-what's wrong?" Kyoko asked him worriedly. With the sound of her voice his eyes snapped up to met hers. "What's wrong?"

Kuon did not answer. The only response she got was when he looked back to somewhere behind her.

"Ricky, watch where you're stepping!" The voice of a woman called to the boy again.

Kyoko was confused as she turned to look at where Kuon was looking at. She saw a little boy not far from them holding a toy plane up in the air as he ran around making engine noises. She stared for several seconds before the name of what the woman had called to the boy was the same as Kuon's best friend. She let out a soft gasp when she realized it. She looked a bit further behind the boy and saw a beautiful woman walking toward them. Kyoko's heart started to pound heavily against her rib cage. She looked back at Kuon and saw him looking at the little boy sadly and painfully.

_Rick... I seem to have taken something precious to one more person. _Kuon thought gravely as he silently wept inside. _Is it really okay for me to move on and be happy? Knowing that I took away a father of an innocent child? _He felt his heart was stabbed right through the center with a really broad sword. He felt Kyoko's hand on his cheek, caressing him gently. He looked at her so lost and helpless.

Kyoko looked at him with the most familiar look in her eyes. The determined look. "It's going to be okay..." She whispered to him. "It's not your fault." She told him seriously as she looked him straight in the eyes. "I know you made a bad choice back then. But, Kuon, he also made his own choice-"

"But he wouldn't have had to make that choice if I didn't made mine." Kuon finally answered.

"We can't turn back time and change the past... We only have choices of how to live with them..." Kyoko told him quietly and with a very serious tone of voice. Her eyes clearly showed she was speaking from her own experience. "And today you chose to come here and introduce me to him. Kuon, moving on doesn't mean you have to forget him. It means, never forgetting him, what he's done for you and appreciating it every single day and not wasting it. Be grateful that you are alive right now because-," She paused as she gathered up air and courage of what she was about to say. "...because I am very happy to see and hold the person who saved me and gave me hope all my life."

Kuon looked at her eyes which were so clear and golden that he knew she was baring her soul to him.

"Please let me be your strength this time, Kuon. No matter what happens, I'm here by your side." She cupped his face in her hands and looked at him intently. "Okay?"

Kyoko saw his lips trembled for a second and he nodded. She was about to pull away but instead she was looking at him so close just inches away and his lips crushed hers. She was stunned and her mind went blank. And just as her brain was turning back on again, his lips was off of hers, leaving it burning like it was branded by a branding iron. Though it did not hurt one bit but she was worried if the feeling of Kuon's burning lips and searing kiss was ever going to go away.

Kuon stood up and helped the still dazed Kyoko up to boldly meet the person whose voice had been haunting him all this time. He held her close to him and braced himself for what was to come. He saw Tina looking at the boy running around with a smile on her face. When she finally noticed their presence, she slowly turned to look at them and saw Kuon's face.

Tina's eyes widened as she recognized Kuon. He gulped nervously. Kyoko touched his arm when she recovered from Kuon's unexpected kiss.

"Go." She whispered to him and he did not know why but his body obeyed her command.

Kuon walked over to Tina as her widened eyes turned to a piercing glare. He stopped a few feet in front of her. He was shaking inside. His mind was blank, he didn't know what to do. What can you really say to the person whom you took away her most important person from?

"...I, I'm s-sorry..." He managed to choke out and an instantaneous impact on his cheek was the response to his apology.

"It took six years for you to come up with that?" Tina growled at him. "I know I was wrong to call you murderer. But when I realized that, you suddenly vanished without a trace. I was going to tell you that I was pregnant too. But no, you just left without saying a single word. And now you visit him for the first time and say you're sorry?! Well, you can go to hell with your sorry ass, Kuon! I was fine without your apology for six years! I raised my child alone because somebody took his father from him!"

Tears rolled down Tina's cheeks as she let out all her bottled up emotions for Kuon. He couldn't stand it. He crossed the distanced and enveloped her in his arms. "You were his best friend Kuon!" Tina hit his chest with her fisted hands. "You are supposed to be his son's godfather, but you weren't there! He already lost his father before he was born, but you deprave him of a godfather too..."

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Tina. I didn't know." Kuon replied painfully. "I thought you hated me enough to never see me again... And I wasn't in the best condition to apologize. The guilt consumed me that within weeks I would have died or committed suicide. I exiled myself to another country and shackled myself with his watch. I lived half a life for five years. I didn't allow myself to be fully happy. Today, I went through hell before you arrived but seeing your and Rick's son, I felt like burning myself. I didn't have the right to take away the father of an innocent child..."

A single tear ran down Kuon's cheek. "I also took away the opportunity of being a wonderful father to his kid from Rick..." He gritted his teeth as he ached inside. "But no-, no matter how much I wish and pray and even offer myself to whomever can turn back time and fix everything, it won't. It already happened and there's no way I can fix it. And I'm very sorry for not being there for you when you had Ricky. I'm a chicken, a coward. Rick told you that, didn't he?"

"Well, you better man up now and make it all up to him by being there for his son." Tina looked at him straight in the eyes. She was still seething mad but she could not help the softening of her eyes as she finally felt at peace when she forgave Kuon. "I want Ricky to know a lot about his father. About the Rick that you only know. Man-to-man talks, you know. You could do it in his stead."

Kuon looked at her with eyes pooling with desperately held back tears. They twinkled as it showed the happiness and relief of being forgiven and freed from the darkness that was holding him hostage. He was finally and completely free. Kuon embraced her so tightly as he whispered his heart felt thank you.

"Oh my god! Ricky!" She gasped in realization that she completely forgot about his son when she talked to Kuon. Kuon let her go and they turned and looked around for her son.

They felt relieved when they saw him but they were stunned when they saw him talking animatedly and happily to Kyoko. He looked like he was showing Kyoko how cool his toy airplane was and Kyoko was responding so happily to him too.

"Who is she? You're girlfriend?" Tina asked curiously as he glanced at Kuon and she was surprise to see him smile so lovingly while looking at the girl.

"No." He replied. "My wife."

"W-what? Wife?" Tina asked incredulously. "How could you not invite me?"

Kuon looked at her surprise at first because he didn't expected her to be upset about not being invited to his wedding. But he looked down when he remembered how it happened. He sighed. "I didn't invite my parents either."

Tina looked at him like he lost his mind. "It's a long story..." He grimaced and Tina glared at him.

"Fine... We ate or drank something that was spiked at a party. We got so loaded and got married on Christmas day which was also her birthday. And worst of all, we don't remember what or how it happened." Kuon confessed.

"Wow, you really screwed up big time." She commented bluntly. Kuon grumbled. "But you love her." It wasn't a question but a statement, Kuon noted.

"Oh, and on top of the worst thing of not remembering is that we really did a good job making all my dreams come true." He said sarcastically. "based on the pictures we took."

"Well, doesn't she love you?" Tina asked in confusion. "You're The Kuon Hizuri, you know?"

Kuon snorted and then laughed out loud. "Love is not in her vocabulary. A worthless scum did a really bad number on her and she swore off love."

"Did you kill the guy yet?" Tina asked in pure disgust for the worthless scum but Kuon misunderstood her. He froze and Tina let out a laugh when she noticed. "It was a figure of speech, Kuon. I already forgave you. It was not your fault."

Kuon nodded and sighed in relief. "Actually, I thought about it from time to time when he still finds a way to bug her."

"He's still around?" Tina asked in complete surprise. "I thought you'd have scared him by now."

Kuon didn't reply.

"So, are you gonna divorce or what?"

"Not if I can help it." Kuon growled his reply. "I just have to convince her not to in the course of six days."

"Well, good luck with that." Tina cheered him on halfheartedly. "Good luck with getting to know my son too at lunch."

"Thanks... Wait, lunch?"

"You're not allowed to say no." Tina stated firmly.

"I wasn't going to."

"Good to know you're not a chicken anymore." Tina smacked his back so hard that Kuon winced and then she sauntered to his son.

Kuon introduced Kyoko to Tina and her son and Tina introduced them to her son. Mother and son talked to Rick for a little bit and then Ricky started asking Kuon about his father. Kuon gladly told him one or two stories of their little adventures. Kuon was so surprised to see the sparkling eyes of Rick's son directed at him as he listened to Kuon telling him about his father. The boys bonded so easily while the girls bonded on their own too. Tina secretly told her about what was Kuon like when he was a teenager following her boyfriend around.

They went to lunch at a nice restaurant. They had a lot of fun talking and catching up. Kuon told Tina about where he'd been all this time and what he had been doing. She wasn't surprised when he told her he was an actor. Rick always told her about Kuon's talent and his struggles being under the shadow of his father's lime light. She was glad he was doing what he loved the most and succeeding in it. And at the end of their meal, Kuon and Kyoko were surprised to meet Tina's fiance.

Kuon carefully assessed the man and then glanced at Tina who was smiling at his overprotectiveness. "Oh, please, Kuon. He's safe. Don't worry about me, worry about yourself."

But Kuon continued giving the guy a warning look. Tina's fiance only smiled. "I love her and Ricky. I promise I'll take good care of them." The guy assured him. "And I take it that we are going to add two more seats in the reception?"

"Uh..." Kuon thought about what to answer. "We'll certainly try, but depends on when."

"Six months from now." The guy immediately replied.

"Oh, good. I can certainly make special arrangement if it's that far ahead." Kuon replied.

They exchange contact infos, made promises to meet up again during their stay in LA and they bid their goodbyes to each other. Kuon hugged the boy, legacy of his best friend, tightly for the first time as he thanked Rick in his mind for everything that he has done for him. Kuon and Kyoko finally got into their car at two in the afternoon. They didn't have anywhere in mind to go and they were feeling really exhausted emotionally, so they made their way home in a comfortable silence.

When they came home, Kuu whisked Kyoko away to grocery shopping for their dinner that night. Kuu was so happy she was going to cook with his now legal daughter. While Julie showed Kuon his new wardrobe in his and Kyoko's current room's walk-in closet. Kuon could only smile at his mother's antics. He was so happy, he really missed his parents so much. He told her so and she broke down and cried as he hugged her in comfort.

The two incompetent cooks were kicked out of the kitchen and into the living room as the father and daughter began their favorite activity. The mother and son were served a bit of appetizer and drinks while Kyoko and Kuu had their cooking fest. When they finished, Kyoko was so nervous that Julie wouldn't like her cooking but she was so shock when Julie told her she would pay her a million dollars if Kyoko would teach her to cook like that. Kuon told them what happened that day when they visited Rick's grave and they were so happy for their son that tears flowed down their cheeks as they hugged him so tightly.

They eventually went to the living room with cups of coffee and hot chocolates. Julie then suddenly announced that she has a welcome-to-the-family present for Kyoko.

"But mo-mother, you already gave me so much clothes." Kyoko protested.

"Don't worry, sweetie, this time it doesn't cost a thing." Julie assured her. "And I'm sure you'll _love_ it."

Julie excitedly went to the entertainment center in front of them and turned on the TV and DVD player. She hit play and hurriedly went back to sit by his husband's side with a really big grin.

It started slowly as the screen showed the credits of the people that made it. Then, images of Kuu and a pregnant Julie showed. Then, a picture of a very cute newborn baby with blonde hair and blue eyes. Kyoko gasped out loud.

"Oh hell no." Kuon muttered. "Mom..." Kuon whined at his mother.

Kuon was going to stand and turn the thing off but a hand firmly clamped down on his shoulder and pushed him back down. He glared at his father who was also grinning at him but he gestured for him to look at his left. Confused, he followed his gaze. He saw Kyoko with sparkling eyes like a child, hands clasped together as she watched the screen so intently. It was like when she was six years old all over again.

A big wave of warmth enveloped Kuon's heart. Just that pure look of happiness quelled his embarrassment and protest of her seeing his most embarrassing moments in life. He could not win against her. He was so far lost in his love for her to be saved. He just hoped that he would make her feel the same way for him eventually. He did not care how long it will take, just as long as she was going to be by his side from now on. It was happiness enough that they remain married even if she was still far from feeling what he was feeling. He was going to do everything in his power to take care of her, to not hurt her or make her cry and to make her smile and happy at least three times a day for the rest of their lives.

_Hehe... ^_^ That last bit just came to me when I was finishing this story up for you guys. I thought it would be great and I really like it. Poor Kuon... Lol I hope you liked it too... So, Kuon's dark forces has been defeated and we can move on to the good part now. Hmmm... so Kuon's challenge begins now, huh? How can he convince her to stay married and slowly make her fall in love with him? Though I don't think he has to make her fall in love with him, he just have to make her realize her feelings though... _

_BTW, I found this song called "Catch me" by Demi Lovato. I thought it really fit the latest chapters of the manga... "And I can see this unraveling, your love is where I'm falling, but please don't catch me..." I love all of the lyrics... It totally fits Kyoko and I hope the ending lyrics would happen in the manga too... ^_^_

_Anyways, Thanks so much for all the support and love in reading, your much treasured reviews, follows and favs... Love you guys... And for putting up with my cruelty of very slow updates and cliffhangers in almost every chapter... Thanks so much... Read yah next chapter and take care you guys... _


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Skip Beat! Characters and everything relating to the manga or anime... In other words, this story is all in my mind... Lol ^_^

_I'm sorry for making you wait this long. It was mother's day so I hadn't have much time to work on this chapter before my work. And for those wonderful mothers who are reading this, I just want to say "You are awesome and amazing for sharing not just your flesh and life to your child or children but your precious time, patience, endurance, love, care, joy and everything of who you are. In my eyes, you all are super woman. I hope you enjoyed your mother's day." Okay, that's done and here is the main topic of what this update is about... Enjoy! ^_^_

Recap:

It started slowly as the screen showed the credits of the people that made it. Then, images of Kuu and a pregnant Julie showed. Then, a picture of a very cute newborn baby with blonde hair and blue eyes. Kyoko gasped out loud.

"Oh hell no." Kuon muttered. "Mom..." Kuon whined at his mother.

Kuon was going to stand and turn the thing off but a hand firmly clamped down on his shoulder and pushed him back down. He glared at his father who was also grinning at him but he gestured for him to look at his left. Confused, he followed his gaze. He saw Kyoko with sparkling eyes like a child, hands clasped together as she watched the screen so intently. It was like when she was six years old all over again.

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 17:

_You wanna know how to make me smile_

_Own me baby just for the night_

_But if I share my secret_

_You gonna have to keep it_

_Nobody else can see this_

The next day was the beginning of Kuon's biggest and hardest challenge yet. Wooing Kyoko to either fall in love with him or just convince her not to divorce him so he can continue to openly try to make his wife fall in love with him. He would take what he could get after this vacation week was over and then continue to work hard on getting her to fall in love with him.

They woke up at 8 o'clock in the morning and had breakfast like the last two mornings Kyoko and Kuon were there. Their parents asked for their plans and Kyoko just looked at Kuon questioningly because she didn't know what they were going to do. Kuon told them that since Kyoko already knew everything about him from the moment he was born, he might as well show her his schools, all his hang out places when he was a teenager... Jokingly, of course. But he was serious about showing her everything about him because he wanted her to know everything about him not because of any other reason.

So, off they went. Kuon spent the morning showing her his schools and hang out places. Which was not that much places because you can't really go to a lot of places to just hang out when you are the son of one the most famous celebrity couple in the states.

Kyoko enjoyed it so much. It felt like her fairy best friend Corn was becoming a real human being Kuon in her mind. She was so happy to get to know all sides of her fairy prince, sempai and now husband Kuon. But she did not dare say out loud the husband part because it would make it all just seem so real and true which she still had trouble wrapping her overreacting mind (to love) that she was married and has a husband.

_And oh, let's not forget that my husband is the one and only most desirable man of Japan, number one actor, super handsome and talented while I am a boring, no sex appeal girl who was abandoned twice in my life! Just how did that happened exactly? It seems too good to be true! It's almost kind of like the story of Cinderella! Except we didn't fell in love at first sight and married for true love! K_yoko shouted in her mind and was breathing heavily._ Wait! Does that mean Shotarou is my evil step mother? _Her face wrinkled._ Because he was the one that used me as a maid like the evil step mother did to Cinderella... Ugh! This is making me crazy. Let's not spoil the afternoon with these crazy and awful thoughts. _

Kuon and Kyoko had a nice lunch at Kuon's favorite restaurant. The rest of the afternoon was spent showing Kyoko all the hottest spots in LA like the Hollywood walk of fame, the Dolby theater, the Staples center, Natural History Museum, a drive around Malibu and its beaches. They even went back to 3rd street Promenade and Santa Monica pier so Kyoko could see the place in daylight. She enjoyed the performances on the street at the promenade. Some sang and others dancing and other tricks or talent they have up their sleeve. Kuon even got dragged into a dance performance with a few other male audience. Kyoko was genius enough to borrow Kuon's iPhone and took a video of the whole performance. She was both surprise and very impressed that Kuon could dance that good... Break dance, more specifically.

"Is there anything you can't do, Tsu-, er, Kuon-san?" Kyoko asked him in admiration and wonder.

Kuon just smiled and said, "I grew up here remember? And it's kind of like acrobatic, you know. Like the one I did when I flew at the forest."

They drank hot chocolates as they watched the beautiful sunset at the pier. They held hands the whole time they were walking and exploring, except when they really have to break apart. Kuon really enjoyed taking pictures of Kyoko which she was very reluctant to do at first. It took a lot of convincing on Kuon's part and he had to pull the work card on her. Telling her that she had to get use to being photograph because she had to do it a lot at work. Even though she was an actress, she still have to go to photo shoots for the cover and cast shots for the dramas.

They waited until seven o'clock to go drive to the restaurant where they would have dinner. Kyoko finally asked Kuon where they were going to have their dinner when she noticed that they've been on the freeway for more than half an hour already.

"We're almost there, Kyoko. I promise the long drive will be worth it." Kuon assured her.

Kyoko had no doubt it would all be worth it because it was Kuon that they were talking about. One thing that Kyoko had learned about the Hizuris in her short time that she had get to know them was that they don't disappoint and they only have the best. So, wherever they were going, she guessed that it would be one of the best restaurant in town. They finally exited the freeway and her eyes widened as she read the sign of the exit that they had just took. It said Disneyland Drive. She gasped as her lips slowly curved up into a huge smile. She couldn't believe what she had just read. The car turned into Magic Way and Kyoko's eyes sparkled. They arrived shortly and they checked into Disneyland Hotel before they had their dinner at one of the hotels restaurant.

All through dinner, Kyoko couldn't stop being excited and super happy she was almost lost in the la la land surroundings of her dream come true. Kuon was not able to stop smiling back at her. He was just so happy for her and for knowing what makes her this happy. When Kyoko took the first bite of food, she closed her eyes as she savored the flavors that exploded in her tongue. Kyoko enjoyed the food while Kuon enjoyed watching her make blissful expression as she ate and as she looked around the the magical place. It looked to Kuon like the place had casted a spell on her.

The dinner was fantastic and Kuon could not wait to show her their suite. Kuon could almost burst in happiness like Kyoko just by thinking on how she would really love it. After Kuon paid for their bill, they went out. But before Kuon could usher her to the hotel and to their suite, she saw the pool and her eyes lit up like the clear and sparkly water in the pool. Kuon smiled and weaved his fingers through hers and held her hand tight as they made their way to the pool. They walked around the pool and then Kuon led her to the Gazebo at the Rose garden. They stayed there for a while as he patiently waited for her to take her beautiful surrounding in. Then, they slowly walked back to the hotel as he listened to her babble about the magic and fairies all around her that only she could see.

Kuon's heart swelled as she gasped when she read the polished engraved name of the suite they stood in front of. Kuon opened the door and went in first. As soon as Kyoko closed the close, she was enveloped in darkness but then her heart raced in excitement when she heard a fairytale sound that you usually hear in fairytale movies. She saw blue lights like the lights when Cinderella's fairy God mother used her magic. It danced around and around until it stopped at a box in the wall which lit up and revealed a glowing and sparkling glass castle. Kyoko squealed as she officially entered La La Land. Kuon turned on the lights and two more boxes in the wall lit up showing beauty and the beast, and Cinderella and her prince dancing. Kuon opened the bathroom door and turned on the lights as he went in and checked it out. It was large and spacious, especially the shower. But the bath was spectacular. It really was fit for a princess. But it didn't feel so girly because the color of the room was light shade of blue with cream moldings. They had a very beautiful painting of a castled in the middle of the wall where the bath was placed. There were two vanities and a big mirror between it. He looked around some more and found out they could watch movies on the mirror... Literally.

Kyoko was so ecstatic that she was about to explode. They proceeded to the bedroom and Kyoko was about to pass out of happiness. There was a huge four poster canopy bed in the middle of the room backed into the wall. It was just magical to her that tears were pooling in her eyes. The bed was facing a floor to ceiling windows which shows magnificent views. There was a very large wooden chest in front of the bed which was backed into the window. There was a table and two chairs beside it and on the other side, a little away from it, was a sofa/daybed. When you sit or lie down on it, you can enjoy the beautiful view outside from the window. There was a cute little table beside it where you can put your drinks, snacks or things.

Kyoko went to the bed and felt the obviously expensive and very soft fabric in her hands. She sat on the very beautiful and elegant bed fit for a real princess. Then she realized, it was all hers for the night. She was going to sleep on that princess bed that night. And with a squeal of pure delight, she flopped herself on the bed.

Kuon looked around and saw a remote control. He didn't see any television and then looked around for instructions or something. Minutes later, a huge TV slowly came out from the large chest in front of bed. Kyoko turned around to looked at the huge screen coming out. She heard Kuon commented, "Nice." and whistled.

He sat himself on the side of the bed, then swung his feet on it. He leaned back to the pile of pillows and browse the channel on what he fancied watching. He was focus on browsing the channels when he noticed in the corner of his eye Kyoko moving. He tried to ignore her presence on the same bed as him, so that he would not be tempted to do any more damage he had done on her birthday night. But he was so surprise when he felt her hugged his waist and leaned her head on his chest.

"Thank you, Kuon..." She said in a soft voice. "Thank you so much for showing me this wonderful place..."

"Hey, don't thank me yet. You still haven't been to the parks." Kuon replied. He waited for her reply but seconds passed only silence answered him. "Kyoko?"

He looked down at his chest and found his beloved wife fast asleep. It was surely a busy day which they spent walking and driving around. Anyone would exhausted, including him. But he had some things to do before he joined her in a deep slumber.

_**~Fairytale Suite, Disneyland Hotel... At 7:30 AM on the 31th of December~**_

_Maybe it's hard _

_When you feel like you're broken and scarred_

_Nothing feels right_

_But when you're with me_

_I'll make you believe that I've got the key_

Kyoko woke up warm and cozy. She heard a low voice vibrating through her. Her brain was slowly waking up and taking in her surroundings. She noticed a steady beat under her ear. The voice spoke something again and she stirred and tried to find where it was coming from.

Kuon hung up the phone and looked down at Kyoko who was turning her head to look at him. "Good morning, My beautiful princess." He greeted with a smile.

Kyoko looked at him with the sexiest sleepy eyes he had ever seen. It was making him ache. But when Kyoko finally realized she was looking at Kuon, her body instantly went to full alert. She scrambled to sit up but her elbow gave out and she ended up falling on his chest again.

"Careful." He told her. "You're okay. Relax."

Kyoko was beet red by the time she looked at Kuon again. "H-how..."

"After I changed you, you wouldn't let me go."

"Oh." and she turned another shade of red. "Wait! C-changed?" And she looked at herself.

Sure enough, she was wearing a white shimmery night gown she had never seen before. And she turned into a fish out of water who was desperately opening and closing her mouth and couldn't speak a single coherent word much less a whole sentence.

Kuon could not help but smile at how cute his little wife was and couldn't help but love her even more. He kissed her forehead and he could almost see her head overload and steam come up. Then, her head was on his chest for the third time since waking up. "Relax, Kyoko... I've seen everything already a few days ago, remember?"

He felt a pretty good jab on his side and he let go of the breath he held when he felt the impact of her fist. "Okay, yeah... I deserved that." He let out a breathy chuckle. "But I have three reasons why I changed your clothes..."

"First, You'll sleep uncomfortably with all those tight and thick clothes on. It would ruin your beautiful experience on this princess bed. Second, my mom would kill me if you didn't wear what she had specially picked out for you just for this one night princess experience. And lastly, princesses wear the best sleep wears. You're a princess in a fairytale room, you must wear it."

Kuon guided her face by the chin with his fingers to make her look at him. He smiled his heavenly smile and Kyoko was completely lost. A few minutes later, a knock sounded on their door. Kuon reluctantly let her go and went to get the door. Kyoko noticed him wearing silk pajama pants with no shirt on. She just noticed that and she buried her face into a pillow to hide her embarrassment.

"Breakfast in bed, princess." Kuon called out as he pulled the trolley to a stop by the small set of steps from the bedroom to the hallway leading to the door. He took a wooden tray filled with food, a drink and a little white vase with one stem of rose in it. She sat up and looked in awe of the elegant set on the tray. "This is what woke you up when I talked on the phone earlier."

"Wow..." She gasped as Kuon set the tray on his lap.

Kuon had a tray of his own and they ate breakfast in bed. Kyoko could not stop the joy she was feeling from showing on her face. They then, took turns using the bathroom. Kyoko found a very cute light blue dress hanging behind the door. She showered quickly. She was so excited to go out and explore this wonderful land Kuon had brought her into.

_His really a fairy prince. He just brought me to his castle and he's going to show me around his kingdom today! _She thought ecstatically.

When she came out, she saw a very lovely cream coat spread on the bed, a pair of unopened nude stockings and a pair of silver flats. Her happiness was just never ending. It felt like she could fly already with her heart always soaring as she found one surprise after the other. The simple cap-sleeve baby doll light blue dress went just above her knees and fitted to her curves. The cream coat fitted perfectly and protected her from the cold. Her dress were so simple with a touch of elegance and practicality that suited their destination perfectly.

Kuon came out of the bathroom wearing retro combat boots, dark jeans that fitted his thighs perfectly, white dress shirt and he was in the middle of putting on his winter jacket and his beanie hat completed his modern day bad boy prince look.

"How do I look, my princess?" He asked her with a sexy grin and her gut tightened as she felt a bolt of electricity-like ran down her spine. She cleared her throat before she could reply.

"Dashing as always, my prince" She replied in a shy smile and rosy cheeks which made Kuon clear his throat this time when his mouth went dry.

Kuon composed himself and beamed back at her. "Shall we, my princess?" He offered her his folded arm.

Kyoko smiled fully and she placed her hand into the crook of his elbow and the prince and princess began their journey to explore their kingdom.

* * *

><p><em>Hahaha... This fairytale is soooo messed up! It started at what should be the ending of happily ever after once they married. And instead of Cinderella missing a glass slipper, Kyoko was missing her faith in the pureness of the feeling of love which was the most important thing for them to live happily ever after. And most of all, fairy godmother is so slow at updating... Hahahahahahaha... I wish I have a fairy godmother too so she can bibbidi bobbidi boo the next chapter faster than I can think it. And more bad news guys... I'm going to a retreat or something. You know, to be with nature so she can mother me to health and help me appreciate God's wonderful works and let my mind take a break from stuffy, uninspiring rooms, noisy cities and continuous work... <em>

_I hope you liked this chapter. I know Kuon is really bringing out his big guns and tanks and aiming it at Kyoko's too many locks protected box. I just hope it would be enough. I don't want to write a Hiroshima here. Though, I think I won't be able to avoid it. I just hope no one's going to stalk or kill me after I write my Hiroshima here because I know it would be like launching nuclear bombs to Ren and Kyoko's hearts. Okay, that's still way ahead and I won't spoil all that fun for you later. Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, following, fav-ing and liking this story... I really appreciate you guys... I wouldn't be able to write it continuously for this long. Read yah next chap... ^_^_


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat! Manga or any of its character, plots, everything...

_Sorry for the late update! I was suppose to update last weekend but I got busy. But here it is now. I was debating with myself what lyrics to put in. There were two songs I was torn between: Today was a fairytale and Take me to wonderland. But I went with the former because this chapter is really bright and cheery and the latter song was a bit dark and not so fairytale like... (Coz the lyrics says "I don't believe in fairytales.") lol I hope you enjoy this chapter... ^_^_

_Recap:_

"How do I look, my princess?" He asked her with a sexy grin and her gut tightened as she felt a bolt of electricity-like ran down her spine. She cleared her throat before she could reply.

"Dashing as always, my prince" She replied in a shy smile and rosy cheeks which made Kuon clear his throat this time when his mouth went dry.

Kuon composed himself and beamed back at her. "Shall we, my princess?" He offered her his folded arm.

Kyoko smiled fully and she placed her hand into the crook of his elbow and the prince and princess began their journey to explore their kingdom.

**The Great Escape:**

Chapter 18

_Today was a fairytale _

_You were the prince_

_I used to be the damsel in distress..._

_Today was a fairytale..._

The prince and his princess explored their beautiful, vast kingdom. It was magical and very enchanting, especially the bubbles of pure happiness that were exuding from his very own royal princess Kyoko. It was very contagious and very enjoyable to watch this wonderful world through her eyes.

They explored the Disneyland park first the whole morning and had lunch there. It was incredible to both Kyoko and Kuon. Kyoko just kept on feeling happy the whole time and about to burst and Kuon was more happy because she was happy. She didn't know she could that way, as if happiness was just overflowing and was not going to stop anytime soon because they were only at the peak of the day. She was like- no, she was a child in Disneyland for the first time. Kuon felt like they've gone back to being a kid again, her a six year-old and him a ten year-old kid and they were set free to explore wonderland.

They first went to the castle and took pictures there. They meet the princesses nearby and Kuon took pictures of them and Kyoko. She fit right in because she looked like she was one of them. She was very awed by Rapunzel's long blonde hair and she looked at their dresses with sparkly and la-la-land inhabitant eyes. They explored the castle and Kuon acted as the prince escorting her and Kyoko was about to burst in happiness and excitement. She thought her heart would burst open any minute and she would die happy.

They rode every ride they could at the park. Snow White ride, the Mark Twain riverboat ride, Indiana Jones, Big thunder Mountain Railroad, Alice in wonderland, Mad Tea Party Tea Cup ride, Finding Nemo submarine voyage, It's a small world ride, everything. They went to meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse. They had so much fun, they didn't care if people thought them weird for being the only adult riding children's rides without accompanying a kid themselves. They were just inside their happy bubble. And the last one they went to was Pixie Hollow - Tinkerbell and her friends. Kyoko met Tinkerbell and explored her home and her visions of fairies came true right before her eyes. It was a heart pounding and worth a faint for Kyoko. It was pure heaven. Paradise!

Kuon was happily patting himself in the back for giving her this wonderful experience. They had lunch at the Plaza Inn which had a Victorian feel to it that adds to a very princess like experience. After they ate when Kyoko went to the restroom, Kuon took that chance to buy her a bracelet full of charms and one of them was Tinkerbell the fairy. He also bought her a fairy wing necklace.

From one o'clock to four o'clock in the afternoon they rode the monorail and explored the other kingdom, Disney California Adventure park. There they went to the Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure, which Kyoko had a blast of mermaid fantasies. Then, they watched Aladdin's Musical Spectacular which they both enjoyed. After that they rode on the Radiator Springs Racers and they came out high on adrenaline and laughing at themselves. Kuon managed to convinced Kyoko to ride a Carousel with his puppy eyes. She tried to tell him she would only ride if he rode with her but he wanted to take a picture of her while she rode. She felt like she was a mermaid again surrounded by all those sea animals in King Triton's Carousel.

Then for the last one, they rode Mickey's Fun wheel and watched the beautiful view of the park at the top. Kuon was very tempted to kiss his wife senseless but he knew he was going to hold back. He settled for a kiss on the cheek which cause her cheek to blossom into beautiful pink roses. She looked at him with wide eyes as she blushed and he smiled softly at her. She looked away shyly and Kuon grinned.

They went back to Disneyland Park and watched the parade. It was enchanting in every sense of the word. Kyoko saw all the princesses and princes and the amazing floats like the huge fairy float at the very beginning of the parade. Kyoko was so focused in watching it that she too wanted to join them. After the parade, Kuon dragged Kyoko back to the castle literally because she was so dazed after the parade. He wanted to carry her princess-like but he didn't want her to come out yet of her dazed state. They hang around in front of the castle near the bridge for the fireworks. He enveloped her in his arms because the wind was getting colder. He enjoyed watching her blissful and dazed face as he leaned down to her. He was again tempted to kiss her but before they knew it, The first boom of the fireworks started and woke both of them up. They both looked up at the glittering, sparkling sky above them. They were both silent as they both enjoyed it.

Kuon was so engrossed that he was startled when Kyoko's hand went behind his head and pulled him down and she tried to kiss his cheek. But he was just so tall she could only reach the side of his jaw. His heart pounded so loudly like the fireworks as she whispered, "Thank you so much, Kuon."

Now it was Kuon's time to be surprise and then dazed. When Kyoko saw his surprised expression, she couldn't help but giggle and then his face broke out into a bright smile, as bright as the fireworks illuminating them from above.

The way home was a blur but the smiles that glowed on their faces were permanently etched all the way home. Getting out of Disneyland was a bit hard because everybody was going home but they made it out in one piece. Kuon parked the car in front of his parent's Beverly hills home at eleven o'clock in the evening. Kuon got out and opened Kyoko's door and they went inside the house. They went into the living room and flopped down on the couch. They were exhausted but at the same time floating in happiness.

Kuon looked at her and noticed how tired she was. He turned her around, rested her legs on his lap and he took off her shoes.

"Kyah! Tsu-, I mean Kuon-san! What are you doing?" Kyoko exclaimed.

"Relax. You can lie down a little too." Kuon assured her with a smile as he started massaging her feet. "Let me do this little thing for you. I know you're tired and with the walking we did today, your feet must be hurting."

Kyoko blushed in embarrassment but as Kuon massaged her feet some more, it was so good and he was hitting all the right spots. She closed her eyes, slowly lie down on the couch and leaned her head against a very soft throw pillow. She felt so good that she was starting to fall asleep. Suddenly, a very loud growling noise sounded breaking the peaceful silence between them.

Kyoko's eyes flew open instantly. She slowly lowered her gaze and looked at Kuon. He was looking back at her with a surprise eyes. His gazed lowered and looked at her stomach. Kyoko realized instantly that it was her stomach which made that loud noise. She blushed and covered her face with a throw pillow beside her. She heard Kuon chuckled an she sat up an glared at him.

"Sorry..." He smiled sheepishly. "I forgot dinner." He set her feet gently to the floor and stood up. "Let's go hunt for food."

They made their way to the kitchen. They found cakes and desserts and finger food on the island counter but not real dinner food. So, Kyoko went to their pantry and refrigerator and took out ingredients for a meal. Kuon asked how he could help and she asked him to cut the vegetables. They worked functionally while he asked her questions like how should he cut the vegetables to what she was making. She answered him animatedly while working.

She was washing some vegetables and she accidentally turned the tap too much that a lot of water went gushing out at once and sprayed both of them. Kyoko got wet on her chest but Kuon took most of the brunt because the tap was turned more to his direction. He was cutting vegetables beside the bowls of vegetables next to the sink. His right side were all wet including his face.

Kyoko quickly turned the faucet off and worriedly looked at Kuon. "I, I'm so sorry! A-Are you okay?"

Kuon opened his eyes and looked at her. Then, Kyoko's heart suddenly dropped when a dangerous glint in his eyes showed and his lips slowly curve into an wicked smirk. Kyoko's instincts kicked in and she sprinted around the island and breakfast bar for cover. Kuon instantly chased after her. They circled the the island twice and then they stopped when they were on the opposite side of each other around the island counter.

"Please, Kuon! I didn't do it on purpose! I swear!" Kyoko pleaded. But Kuon only smirked at her and looked at her with predator eyes locked onto its prey.

Kyoko ran again and when she passed by the sink again she took the removable faucet and turned it on and pointed it squarely to Kuon's face. He stopped as he felt the shower of water on his face and instantly closed his eyes. Silence fell and only the sound of the water reigned in the room. Kyoko fearfully turned the tap off and she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"...Kyoko..." Kuon whispered. And her reply was a snort because she could not help to find the situation and Kuon's predicament a bit funny. When Kuon heard it he snapped his eyes open and caught her by the waist.

"Kyaahhh!" Kyoko screamed but it turned into laughter when Kuon started tickling the side of her waist. "No, Kuon!" But he continued relentlessly and so she continued to squirm, laugh and tried to get away.

"It's payback time, babe." Kuon replied.

"I'm sorry, Kuon. I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" Kyoko promised.

"I'll forgive you but on one condition."

"I'll do it!" she agreed instantly. "Just please... no more..."

Kuon stopped and smirked again. "You promised."

In the corner of Kyoko's mind, she thought she may have just jumped into the fire when she heard him say the two words. But she collapsed into his chest as she tried to catch her breath.

"Happy New Year!" Their father's voice rang.

They were startled and snapped their heads to the entrance of the kitchen. They saw Kuu and Julie standing there so stunningly. Kuu wore a black tuxedo that fitted him perfectly as he styled his hair in a very slick do. Julie was breathtaking in her silver gown with her hair in a very neat up-do. They look like two people from a vogue magazine. Kuon remembered his mother talking about them going to a New Year's party the last time they ha breakfast together.

"We see you having a blast in here. Did we interrupt something?" Julie asked. Kyoko and Kuon blushed red like a tomato.

"No!" Kyoko protested immediately as she tried to get out of Kuon's embrace but his arm was as heavy as a stone around her waist.

"We... We were..." Kuon looked around as he tried to remember what they were doing. "Just fixing dinner! We forgot to have any before we came home."

"We can see that." His father answered with a knowing smile and Kuon rolled his eyes. "Why don't you two go get yourselves dry while I take over and fix that dinner you were talking about."

They nodded and went up to their room and changed. Kyoko wanted the earth to open up and swallow her whole. But Kuon assured her that they didn't do anything wrong. She glared at him. When they went back downstairs, they were served a delicious dinner and they had a little New Year's party with the whole family with those desserts and finger foods. They faced the New Year as a family.

Early the next day, they flew out to the Hizuri's private beach property in Hawaii. They spent the next two days there having fun with each other. Kuon taught her how to ride a Jetski and how to surf. They went to town for half a day to go parasailing, walked around and shop. Kyoko enjoyed it so much because in the property they had freedom to go outside and play on the beach with their parents and no one would know and disturb them. They had barbecue at their deck with the spectacular view of the sunset. They lay on the sand beneath the sky filled with beautiful shining stars. The peacefulness and quietness of the night except for the waves crashing into the sand. The stillness of the beautiful sun rising up to a new day. In Kyoko's opinion, it was truly paradise.

But she knew that all good things come to an end. And it was ending. Early the third day, she watched the sunrise with Kuon at her side. He showed her this yesterday and she fell in love with it. He asked her to take one last stroll at the beach. They held hands which they both were getting used to doing and was bordering in becoming a habit of theirs. Then, Kuon stopped and turned to her.

"What's wrong?" She asked Kuon when she stopped with him.

"You know, you never got to fulfill your promise." He told her.

"W-what promise?" Kyoko asked. She was starting to get nervous.

"The one you made at the kitchen before the new year."

"Oh." She said and then fell silent for a few seconds. "What do you want me to do?"

Kuon broke into a smile. "To give me a proper thank you kiss."

Kyoko flushed pink and stared shyly at him. She was battling inside her if she was going to do it or not. But for Kyoko, a promise was a promise. "Okay, close your eyes."

Kuon smiled in amusement but did as he was told and leaned down to her level. Kyoko leaned in with her heart pounding in her chest. She clenched her eyes shut and went straight to his cheek. But Kuon opened his eyes a few millimeters and watched her shut hers through his lashes. At the last minute, he turned around and met her lips with his. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her body to mold in his. His other hand on the back of her head as he guided it closer to his face. He put a little pressure on her lips and pulled back a centimeter away and kissed her again. He did that a few times before she finally responded to him. He matched her in her pace until they had to part for air.

Kuon looked at her intensely. "Kyoko... Before we go back to Tokyo... Do you still want to be my wife?"

Kyoko looked at him unable to break away from his gaze as he continued.

"I will do everything in my power to make you happy. We found out these past few days that we are good together. Without status, power, money or name, you accepted me as I am and I accept you for who you are. I will not break my vows Kyoko, I promise you that."

Kyoko opened her mouth to say something but Kuon didn't let her.

"I want this, Kyoko. I want us to stay married. No one is forcing me to do this. I am choosing this out of my own freewill. You know me, Kyoko. I don't do things I don't like. If it's alright with you, if you are happy with me, I would like us to stay married... Let me take care of you... I won't use you. I'll even learn how to cook. Or maybe I'll get take outs from Daruma-ya every night so you won't cook all the time. You saw my apartment, Kyoko, you won't have to clean after me."

Kyoko was frowning as sentence after sentence Kuon was promising her not to be like that bastard. _Doesn't he know, he's way beyond that idiot?_ She thought but most of her mind was occupied with something else entirely.

"W-wh," She cleared her throat. "why are you doing this? Wh-y do you want... Us to stay m...ma-married? I'm not pretty and I don't have big breasts. What could you see in me? And base on all the things you just said to me, I don't have anything I can give to you. What could you possibly want from me?"

Kuon only smiled at her as he smoothed his thumb over her frowning eyebrows. "That's simple..." _Love. Kyoko, your love._ But he didn't say it out loud for fear of scaring her and blowing all of his chances with her. Instead, he said, "Happiness, Kyoko... I'm happy with you. You make me happy... One of the things you can't buy in this world Kyoko is happiness and I want you to be happy with me."

"Bu-bu-but I'm sure there are a lot of women who can make you happy. You're Tsuruga Ren!" She protested.

"If they could make me happy, Kyoko, I would have been with that particular woman long time ago. But I've been happy ever since I've gotten to know you and now you still accept me as I am even though you know of my past. Kyoko, for the first time in my life, I feel like I've been set free. Even my father's shadows can't touch me. You did that to me Kyoko and now I want to make you happy like I am now with you. But only you know what makes you happy, so I ask once again... If you are happy being with me, would you like to stay married to me?"

_Of course I'm happy with you! _Her mind replied immediately but she didn't voiced it out. _Who wouldn't be happy with you these past few days, Kuon? I felt like a princess! _But doubts and fears has been in her heart and mind for so long and it won't be instantly vanquished by mere words of assurance. _But there's no such thing as happily ever after in real life! _Then she paused, _but if I won't stay married to him, both our careers could be in jeopardy if the media finds out. _

"Kyoko?" Kuon prompted when she stayed silent.

Kyoko thought over all of the reasoning and every word Kuon had just spoken to her... And there was one thing she realized. In all that he said, he never once said he loves or likes her and he didn't demand that she loves or likes him. He only spoke of happiness and gratefulness. _It's a partnership that we would both benefit from. It's not base on love but mutual trust and happiness... And as far as I know Ren or Kuon, he values those two the most and won't ever betray me. _

"Kyoko..." Kuon called to her again, getting worried by the minute she was not answering him.

She snapped out of her mind and looked at him.

_Can you feel this magic in the air?_

_It must have been the way you kissed me..._

"Yes..."

* * *

><p><em>Finally! They're going back home so I can get started on the hot stuff. Lol Although for a second there, okay maybe for several hours I was thinking I should just end this chapter after Kuon asked that last final question. But I knew it would be unfair to you guys and it would kill you. So, I finished it to the end and please thank the song because that's what made me continue writing her reply. I'm so happy that they are finally going back to Japan where I, I mean Lory has prepared grand surprise and plans for the newlyweds. Though I'm really dreading to write that Hiroshima I was talking about as I get closer to it. I'm afraid you'd kill me. Anyways, that's still far ahead and I should be thinking on how to entertain you guys before that happens with those bumps and turns in this journey. <em>

_I'm forever grateful to you guys for continue reading, reviewing, following and fav-ing my stories. I appreciate all your support. I do this every chapter because I want you guys to know I'm happy you like my stories... See yah next chap! I hope you liked this chappie! ^_^_


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Skip Beat and its characters and plots...

_I am SO SORRY for not updating for like a month or so... I took summer classes plus work and some other stressful moments of my life. I can't write when I'm stressed. I have to be connected emotionally to the characters or the story to create exciting scenes and sharp turns. Anyways, I know you don't want to read all this yapping, so please enjoy this chapter... It's extra long... ^_^_

_Recap:_

Kyoko thought over all of the reasoning and every word Kuon had just spoken to her... And there was one thing she realized. In all that he said, he never once said he loves or likes her and he didn't demand that she loves or likes him. He only spoke of happiness and gratefulness. _It's a partnership that we would both benefit from. It's not base on love but mutual trust and happiness... And as far as I know Ren or Kuon, he values those two the most and won't ever betray me._

"Kyoko..." Kuon called to her again, getting worried by the minute she was not answering him.

She snapped out of her mind and looked at him.

_Can you feel this magic in the air?_

_It must have been the way you kissed me..._

"Yes..."

**The Great Escape **

Chapter 19:

_No one else, No one else _

_Can speak the words on your lips_

_Drench yourself in words unspoken_

_Live your life with arms wide open_

_Today is where your book begins..._

_The rest is still unwritten..._

_WHY? WHY ON EARTH DID I SAY YES? _Kyoko was in her first class seat going back to Japan and apparently, everything has just sunk in and it totally freaked her out.

_And that KISS! Playboy! _She blushed furiously as that same playboy she was thinking about was seating calmly next to her.

_Yes, it was that kiss! _She relived the moment and melted again, and if she wasn't already seating down her knees would have given out just thinking of that kiss. _Okay, forget that kiss! It's this playboy's fault! _She glared at the handsome guy next to her who was from now on her husband 'til death do they part. She sighed when she still couldn't wrap her pretty little head around that one important fact. Thinking about what changes did that little fact could do to their future was dizzying and she didn't dare try to imagine it. _Oh, what am I gonna do?!_

Meanwhile, Kyoko's playboy husband was busy floating in cloud nine and soaring the sky like the airplane they were riding on in the comfort of his private thoughts. He was bursting in happiness because not only did he convinced her of staying married to him, he even got to taste those honey sweet lips of hers. And what's more? She didn't ran in the other direction, slap him or get mad at him but she even kissed him back.

_And if I'm right, I bet she enjoyed it._ Koun couldn't help but smile stupidly at his thoughts.

* * *

><p>It was a quiet flight for both Kyoko and Kuon. They spent the entire flight either lost in their own thoughts, asleep or eating. They silently but excitedly made their way out of the plane and out of the airport. They were in the same disguise looks as they had when they went out of the country. They arrived at one o'clock in the afternoon at Narita International Airport and Sebastian met them there and driven them straight to the president's mansion. Now, they were sitting in one of president's private room sipping tea with the man himself sitting across them.<p>

"Welcome back." The president greeted them. "How was your vacation?"

"It was great! Thank you very much for it." Kuon replied happily.

"I'll take that as good news for your marriage decision?" Lory asked with excitement shining in his eyes.

Kyoko blushed instantly at the mention of their marriage. Kuon could not help but smirk at her reaction and his happiness in his triumph.

"No divorce?" Lory asked in unneeded clarification.

Kyoko wanted to back out right there, right then. She was having second thoughts about her decision. She didn't even know what made her say yes to his proposal.

_It was the kiss. _Her inner voice whispered to her and she instantly stomped it down to the very back of her head, never wanting to hear it again. But she knew that she gave him her word already and it didn't sit well with her if she went back on it. Also, she didn't like the sound of the word divorce, especially if it related to her. She was raised too traditionally for it and coupled with her fairytale obsession, it really was a conflict to her beliefs in what marriage should be. So, she nodded because the two men in the room was looking at her expectantly and as she guessed were waiting for her to answer that question because she alone could answer it. Lory and recently Kyoko knew what Kuon wanted already and it was up to her if she was going to agree to what he wanted or not.

Lory shot up from his seat and shouted, "Hallelujah!"

Kuon rolled his eyes while Kyoko was startled and confused by the sudden burst of reaction. She thought she should be used to the president's antics but for the life of her, she wasn't going to be anytime soon.

"Now," The president said excitedly before any of them could react to his burst of energy. "It's time to start making this marriage real. Ooohhh! I'm so excited!" It seemed that the president was more excited than the married couple themselves. He clapped his hand for them to stand up and follow him out of the room.

"Where are we going?" Kuon asked as he and Kyoko confusedly followed the excited president dressed as Aladdin and they saw Sebastian dressed as the Genie who was now holding the door open to a black limousine which was not as stretched long as Kyoko and Kuon expected to be the usual for the president.

"It's a surprise you two!" The president replied with a grin as they climbed inside the car.

"Here I thought we were going to ride the magic carpet." Kuon jokingly commented.

"I wanted to, but our destination require us to be inconspicuous." He replied with a pout. Kuon snorted.

Lory spent the ride asking the couple what they did on their vacation and they told him some of it. A little more than twenty minutes, they parked into a garage. They got out and looked around. It was a three car basement garage, so it was a bit cramp and dark.

"Where are we?" Kyoko inquired.

"Let's go up and find out!" Aladdin chimed as he led the way up. The stairs didn't led to the second floor house as Kyoko and Kuon expected. Instead, the door led to a narrow hallway outside the garage and house that leads up to the second floor level of the main and to the small gate of the property. Next to the garage that they parked in was another tall house. They followed the president up the stairs and onto the upper level of the land. It was leveled up and in front of them was another house. But not like the one they came out of.

"Welcome to your new home!" The Aladdin dressed president exclaimed.

Kyoko gasped audibly as her eyes widened when she realized what the president had just told them. She raised her hands and covered her open mouth and she started to take it all in.

It was a Traditional Japanese style house. It looked old but also looked well built and really solid. There were tall trees around the house which created privacy from the prying eyes of the tall houses and buildings around it. It had a little space of green lawn between the garage house and the old house which had a beautiful stone pathway leading from one to another. And to the left of the property between the two houses was a small pond with a decorative little bridge that looked all too familiar to both Kyoko and Kuon. They were sure it looked like a mini version of the one where they had been married on.

They looked back at the garage house. It was a modern ordinary house that was built to make use of all the available space in a very limited land. It camouflaged the paradise it promised behind it which was really great for two famous celebrities.

"Wh-wh-I-you-" Kyoko stammered as she tried to find what to say.

She was speechless. It was just wonderful. She felt like she was transported to another place far away from the city much less Tokyo. And what really boggled her the most was that the president said it was her new home. _Their_ new home. Never in a million years did she imagine she could live in a place like this. It was too good to be true and she was starting to feel uneasy if she really could accept this.

"Don't worry, Moga-. Sorry, your not Mogami anymore, you're Hizuri now. I'll just call you Kyoko-chan then." Lory said apologetically. "But don't worry, I didn't buy this land and did a total make over in a week that you were gone. I just wished it on my Genie!" Lory told them with a sparkling grin as she gestured to Sebastian the Genie behind him.

"Boss..." Kuon said warily as he rolled his eyes. "Seriously, it's not funny."

"Party-pooper!" He threw at Kuon. "This was your dad's property. He gave it as a wedding gift to Maria's parents. They lived here for two years before they moved to a bigger house when they had Maria-chan." The president explained. "Kuoki has no use for it anymore so I asked him if it was okay to make use of it and he gave it to you as a wedding gift, too, since he doesn't use it."

"What about Maria-chan?" Kuon asked.

"She's still small and Kuoki and I can take care of her needs when the time comes. Don't you worry. Kuoki's happy to give it back to where it really belongs and to someone who would make use of it, instead of letting it sit there." He assured them. "Now, let's go inside for more surprises!"

Kuon led Kyoko inside since she was still shock from the news. They went in through the front sliding door and into the entry way where they took off their shoes and jackets and put them in the entry way closet. Lory opened another sliding door and they were inside their new home.

Surprises was the right word because they really were surprise. The house was Traditional Japanese outside but on the inside, it was certainly not. It was modern and American style. It was like Kyoko's traditional style on the outside of the house and on the inside was Kuon's American style. It was a perfect fusion of the two. They didn't just became one in paper and body but they also did in their new house.

They came into a spacious living room that looked really inviting. The first thing they noticed was the wall behind the couch was decorated by framed pictures. There was a big one in the middle surrounded by creatively placed little frames of pictures. The biggest one in the middle was none other than their sunset wedding picture which was surrounded by pictures of Kyoko and Kanae, the love me girls, Kyoko and Maria-chan, Kyoko and the Daruma-ya couple taken from the grateful party, Kyoko with her huge 17th birthday castle cake, their parents, Ren and Yashiro, Ren and Lory, and Ren and Maria-chan. They were pictures of Kyoko's new family now. The family that accepted her for who she is and who loved and cherished her very much.

Kyoko's eyes were getting teary as she took everything in. She was at a lose of what to think. She was just overloaded with her emotions, especially happiness and warmth. She didn't know why but looking at those well layed out pictures, it felt that it made sense that it fit all together. It didn't look wrong or odd. It was right and she couldn't understand why. It looked like two lives did became one and she kept thinking that she was not involve in that union. The girl in the picture to her was like another person or a different lifetime. But the oddest thing was that she didn't feel wrong.

Past the living room was a bright dining room that had sliding doors further behind that leads outside. To the left of the dining room was an incredible open chef's kitchen. Kyoko's eyes bugged out when she saw it.

"We didn't have to change much in the house. It was all just cosmetic remodeling like cleaning, painting the walls new color, change the furnitures and decorations to fit both your style. Well, except for the kitchen. We had to get new appliances, cabinets and countertops for you, my dear, so you can make everything you need and want in there."

Kyoko was brought out from her surprise when they continued their tour. They went to the bathroom next to the kitchen and then to the bedroom across it which had sliding doors that opened to the peaceful view of the small garden with a small pond and the little bridge.

"Before we continue upstairs, you have to first meet your new housekeeper and Kyoko's personal driver. Or for you both if you don't want to drive, Kuon." Lory said.

"What? Boss, why the hell did you do that for?" Kuon exclaimed. "I thought we were going to keep it quiet? I don't want Kyoko's career and safety to be in jeopardy because of me."

"Relax, Kuon." The president advised him. "They already know your secret. In fact, he was at your wedding."

Kuon and Kyoko stared at the president in bewilderment. The president invited them back to the living room where two elder couple sat on the couch. Kyoko and Kuon instantly recognized the older man. It was the taxi driver who drove them all around Kyoto.

"It's nice to see you again." The old man greeted.

"Ren, Kyoko, this is Ryuu Matsumoto and his wife, Namiko. From now on she's going to be your housekeeper and cook, and he's going to be your personal driver." The president introduced.

"Please to meet you, we'll be in your care." The couple greeted formally with a bow.

"Congratulations on your wedding." Namiko said with a warm smile.

"Thank you." Kuon replied a smile. "And nice to meet you, too."

"They'll be living in the house above the garage. There is also a separate guest room there if you have more guests." Lory informed them.

"We have a son going to a university here in Tokyo. So we're really grateful and happy for this opportunity to be near him and also be able to support him financially." The old man bowed sincerely low.

"We're also very happy because we are going to be neighbors with someone we know personally." Kuon replied politely.

After the introductions and greetings, the couple excused themselves and went back to their new home now for the newlyweds to continue the tour of their first home. They took the stairs between the living room and the bedroom to the second floor of the house. As they climbed the stairs, they noticed the wall along the stairs were filled with hanged picture frames. They noticed Mio, Natsu, Katsuki, BJ, Cain, Setsu, magazine covers, Armandy ads and every role they both had in their entire career.

After several minutes of taking in the pictures on the wall that summarized their entire career, they proceeded to the second floor which was their entire master suite. When they came up they immediately saw Kuon's huge bed in the middle. And above it was another picture from their forgotten memory. It was a magical picture of Kuon down in one knee proposing to Kyoko with the background of their magical place of meeting. The little stream behind them with water that sparkled when the rays of sunlight hit them. Trees that were darkly outlined by the lowering sun behind them.

They both stared at the blown up picture on the wall for a few minutes as the situation finally sunken in. It was their house. Their house that was full of their things, pictures of them, their wants and needs and more.

They continued to the left of the bed which had a sliding door leading to a small balcony. Next to the balcony inside the house was the bathroom. It was huge and so was the tub. Next to the tub was a clear glass shower which Kyoko looked at, horrified, because she imagined getting in there and taking a shower with a glass door that would not cover her nakedness. But to her relief the bathroom also had sliding doors for privacy. Inside the bathroom there was a door leading to a walk in closet which can also be accessed in the hallway. Across the small closet was another closet but bigger in size.

"All your clothes are already in there. The small closet has all of Kyoko's things in it since she didn't have that much. But we recently received a two boxes from Julie, so some of Kyoko's things are in the big closet too." The president explained and then looked at them with a smile a he rubbed his palms together. "And now, it's time for me to leave and for you... to enjoy your new house, newlyweds."

With that, he left the two of them standing there in front of the big bed and dumbly looking after Aladdin and his Genie. Kyoko and Kuon looked awkwardly at each other. Then, Kuon's face broke into a warm smile. He flopped onto the bed and laid down on it spreading his arms wide open while his feet is still planted on the floor. A few seconds later, he sat back up again and slowly and cautiously gathered her with his arms as he settled her between his legs. He looked up to her at her smiled a cute boyish smile.

"I'm so happy. I feel like I'm reborn into a different life. A brighter life." He whispered sincerely. "I'm really thankful that you decided to share this new life with me and without you I wouldn't even have that chance of a new life."

Kyoko opened her mouth to protest but feeling Ren's warm finger pressed lightly on her lips blew all thoughts out of her head.

"I'm gonna do all I can for you to not regret that decision... Ever." He brushed his palm from the side of cheek up to her hair. "I know you're probably terrified right now. Change is terrifying. But we'll go slow. We'll go slow, okay?" He continued brushing his palm from her cheek to her ear and hair. "You give me happiness, Kyoko... And slowly but surely, I'll give it back to you tenfold."

Kuon's gazed lowered to Kyoko's lips and he really wanted to capture those lips with his. But he promised to take it slow. And kissing wasn't taking it slow. So he settled for a hug as he breathed her in. Her sweet scent and warm form again his. He was contented with that for now. He was going to be with her everyday from now and he intended to not waste any second of those days ahead with her.

Kyoko's eyes pooled with unshed tears and her throat tightened. It was all surreal to her. Who was this beautiful and sexy man promising to make her happy? How was that possible? Her, Mogami Kyoko who was one and a half year old actress, was in the arms of the number one actor in Japan. Not only that but he was the son of the famous Hollywood actor and model and she, an abandoned girl and dumped after being used by her childhood friend, has became his wife.

_How did that hap-?_ Kyoko shivered as she felt his lips touched her collarbone and his nose resting on her shoulder breathing warmly on her skin. Kyoko felt him ran a hand down her back and as she breathed his manly scent that wrecked havoc on her senses. Her mind blanked and she stopped thinking crazy thoughts of protests.

"Kyah!" Kyoko squealed when she found herself falling with Kuon onto the bed. She heard Kuon chuckling happily at her cute squeal. "Kuon!" She reprimanded him but slowly giving in to the moment. She giggled as she hit the bed when he turned them to the side.

_So much for taking it slow... _Kuon thought.

_Again, I am SO SORRY for the very late update. I'm just so glad I finished this chapter already. I hope you liked their new home. I hope it wasn't OOC. I'll try my best again next chapter to make it exciting and make all those wholes in their memory slowly resurface and then write about their fun reactions. I am really sleepy right now, so please excuse my grammatical errors and typos and lack of yapping... Lol _

_Thank you for all the support and love with you reading, liking, faving, following and your wonderful reviews. Love you... See yah next chapter. I really need to sleep! Take care. God bless..._


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat! Characters, plots and etc...

_I would have updated earlier but I decided to update Secret Harmony instead and then I got sick last Friday. But I'm all better now. So here's another chapter... And I'm just going say I'm sorry early on because some of you are gonna be disappointed because nothing happened. It's just too soon. I don't want to scare Kyoko. So I hope you enjoy this too... ^_^_

**Recap:**

It was all surreal to her. Who was this beautiful and sexy man promising to make her happy? How was that possible? Her, Mogami Kyoko who was one and a half year old actress, was in the arms of the number one actor in Japan. Not only that but he was the son of the famous Hollywood actor and model and she, an abandoned girl and dumped after being used by her childhood friend, has became his wife.

_How did that hap-?_ Kyoko shivered as she felt his lips touched her collarbone and his nose resting on her shoulder breathing warmly on her skin. Kyoko felt him ran a hand down her back and as she breathed his manly scent that wrecked havoc on her senses. Her mind blanked and she stopped thinking crazy thoughts of protests.

"Kyah!" Kyoko squealed when she found herself falling with Kuon onto the bed. She heard Kuon chuckling happily at her cute squeal. "Kuon!" She reprimanded him but slowly giving in to the moment. She giggled as she hit the bed when he turned them to the side.

_So much for taking it slow... _Kuon thought.

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 20:

_You wear white and I'll wear out the words 'I love you'_

_And 'You're beautiful'_

_Now that the wait is over_

_And love has finally shown her my way_

_Marry me_

_Today and everyday..._

_Say you will_

_**~At 4:00 PM on 25**__**th**__** of December...~**_

The rays of the sun peaked through the branches and leaves, silhouetting the trees. The sound of the water rushing down the small stream. They could see their breaths in front of them and cold stones crunched beneath his feet as he walked carrying her to the middle of the clearing in her white gown without the lace robe. He feared it might get ruined when they make their way through thick tree braches and leaves. Kuon was already wearing a tux and he wrapped his jacket around her to keep her from freezing. He gently set her on her feet with her white three-inch pumps.

Kuon watched her check out the forest clearing around them. It may have changed because of the change of seasons that it went through all these years, but it still looked the same to the both of them. They felt like it was that summer when they first met in that clearing all over again with sun shining brightly above them and branches and the leaves danced to the warm breeze of the air. They looked and smiled at each other.

Kuon kissed her forehead. Kyoko was not satisfied with just that so she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to a searing kiss. His suit jacket around her shoulders fell off when she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. When they parted breathless, Kuon cradled her face in his hand and gazed at her lovingly.

"You're so beautiful, I can't get enough of you." He whispered.

"So why are we here waiting if you can't get enough of me?" Kyoko drawled out sexily.

"Patience, my love." He lightly kissed her on the lips and went to set the camera up on the rock and put it on movie setting while she stood there bereft of his warmth. He went back to her and knelt in front of her as he took both her hands and kissed the back of them one by one.

"Kyoko, you don't know how much I love you." He began. "But I will surely show it to you everyday of our lives together. I love you so much that I want you to have and experience everything. I love you so much that if it is possible I'd give the world to you just to see you smile. That's why even though I know you already agreed, I want to properly ask you again..." He looked her full in the eyes with the sincerity and love he had for her. "Will you marry me?"

"Be my wife, Kyoko. We'll have lots of children and grow old and have wrinkles together."Kuon promised. "I want to see your beautiful face first thing in the morning and last thing when I close my eyes to sleep."

"Yes, Kuon! You already know that." She exclaimed in tearful happiness. "Now, please let's get married and make me your wife in every sense of the word before I jump you right now."

Kuon chuckled as he clumsily slip the engagement ring on her ring finger and stood up to pull her into a hug and kissed her passionately again. After he kissed her silly, he carried her again in his arms and went to the rock the get the camera and they hurriedly went back to the Inn to finally get themselves married with giggles and chuckles echoing through the forest.

_**~Back to Present... 12:03 AM at their New Home~**_

_Just close your eyes_

_Each loving day_

_I know this feeling won't go away_

_Every word I say it's true _

_This I promise you_

Kyoko slowly woke up after she had that dream. She was disoriented and was still trying to get out of sleepiness. When she finally opened her eyes, it was dark which made her wide awake. She remembered her dream and she blushed and wondered if it was just a dream or a memory. But she remembered the evidence hanging on the wall behind her. She blushed as she wondered what in the world happened to her to make her act like that. It was so out of character. Even Setsu didn't act like that with her brother. But somewhere deep down, something whispered truths that she could not accept. It whispered that it was all her. Her own desires that she herself buried in the deepest pits of her heart and chained with many locks.

She didn't want to continue to think about truths that she could not accept, so she assessed where she was. She stiffened when she noticed something heavy and warm on her butt and then she realized that her hand was also on top of something warm and fleshy. She moved her hand up and encountered more flesh. When she moved it down, she came to what felt like jeans and belt. She stopped and realized she was in bed with Kuon... In each other's arms and legs tangled... With her hand under his shirt and his hand on her butt.

It all came back to her now. After the president left, Kuon was promising to make her happy and not regret her decision to stay married. They fell into bed and Kuon tickled her endlessly after that. They were breathing heavily after they tickled and wrestled against each other playfully on their new bed. Well, not really new bed since it was Kuon's huge bed before but it was now their new marital bed. They were so tired after the flight that they didn't have energy to get up and do anything. No one said anything, Kyoko just let Kuon held her on the bed. Soon Kyoko's eye drooped and she feel asleep.

Her heart was beating so hard, she was afraid it would wake him up. She slowly took her hand from under his shirt put it over his jeans and belt since she didn't have anywhere to put it. Then, she slowly and gently started sliding down so Kuon's hand would slide up to her waist. But to her surprise, the hand suddenly moved. It pulled her more against him and he gave her butt cheek a squeeze which made her squeak.

Kuon couldn't hold it in and chuckled. Kyoko snapped her head up to where the sound came from since she couldn't clearly see his face in the dark. "Kuon!" She exclaimed as she hit his chest. "Hey! How long have you been awake?"

"Since you started feeling me up." Kuon replied teasingly.

"I did not!" She protest vehemently.

Kuon chuckled. "Don't worry, princess. My body is yours to do as you please." He kissed the tip of her nose playfully.

Kyoko blushed furiously as she clutched her nose. Suddenly, they heard Kyoko's stomach growl loudly. Kuon chuckled and then she squeaked again when he scooped her from the bed and carried her carefully downstairs with Kyoko protesting all the way down to the kitchen. He sat her on a high stool in the breakfast bar. Luckily for them the old couple left the light over the stove on for them to navigate in their own kitchen.

Kuon then went in search for food in the refrigerator. Luckily, Namiko had made food for them and put it in the refrigerator. He took it all out and heat in on the microwave. Kyoko was surprised at first but then amusedly watched him working in the kitchen for once without feeling worried like when she watched him cook Maui Omurice. He opened the cupboards in search for the utensils to use for their super late dinner. Kuon found a lighter and lighted the candles he saw on their dining table and put it on the breakfast bar.

They ate happily and then Kuon carried Kyoko back up again after they both washed and dry the dishes and blew all the candles out. Kyoko couldn't protest about going to bed together. Obviously, they were married and Kuon wouldn't let her argue. They tried to get back to sleep but they already slept for about ten hours and their body clock is still used to LA time. And even more for Kyoko because Kuon was holding her close to him and was running his hand up and down her back. It was making her shiver and be so aware of him and his evil hand running down her spine.

* * *

><p>The next day they immediately started work and their schedule were packed. They started out at six o'clock in the morning and Kyoko got home with her new personal driver Ryuu-jisan near eleven while Kuon got home at one o'clock in the morning. He was so tired, he took off his clothes leaving just his boxers and slipped under the covers beside Kyoko.<p>

Kanae called Kyoko the next day after she got back. Kanae was out of town for a job, so she could not grill her with every detail personally. Kyoko told her the basics. She enjoyed the vacation. Kuon's parents were very nice to her. And she decided to stay married to Kuon. She told her best friend that she didn't want to be a divorcee at eighteen and when the media might find out later on, it would hurt their career especially Kuon's. She told him Kuon asked her to stay married to him, too, and that he was treating her very nicely and that he did not push her into anything she was not comfortable doing.

A week passed by just like that and it was very tiring for the both of them. Kuon was already dressed for the day. While he was preparing, he thought Kyoko would wake up on her own like usual in the morning in the past week but when he was done she was still dead asleep. He stood in front of the bed and looked at his wife sleeping sexily on their bed. He was so happy she got used to them sleeping together on the same bed. True to herself, Kyoko tried to protest but he didn't let her. He persuaded her gently making her feel relax and comfortable with it until she didn't mind it anymore. He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned on her ear.

"Babe, time to wake up." Kuon called softly to Kyoko as he brushed her hair and kissed her temple.

"Five more minutes." She mumbled which was unlike Kyoko. Kuon guessed the past week must have taken a toll on her.

"I'm sorry but we'll be late for our meeting with the president." Kuon said apologetically. "The bath is already filled and bubbled up for you." He told her lovingly. "Or do you want breakfast in bed first?"

When Kyoko heard it, she flushed pink and smiled. If somebody had told her more than two weeks ago that she would become a pampered wife of the Tsuruga Ren, She would not have believed it in a million years. The wife part was already unbelievable but to think that the Tsuruga Ren would treat her like a princess and him like a butler, serving her hand and foot, now that was impossible. Out of this world. It was just too surreal and too good to be true for anyone to believe, especially her.

"No need for breakfast in bed." Kyoko said sleepily before he decided to actually do it. "I'll bathe really quick and we can have breakfast together."

"You don't need to be quick. We have enough time." Kuon told her with thoughtful eyes. "And good morning." He greeted with a light, quick kiss on her lips. That was the first lip to lip kiss he gave her since she said yes to him.

Kyoko blushed red and called 'morning' to him after she hopped out of bed and into the bathroom to prepare.

They both arrived on time in the president's office. He was dressed royally as usual. They both sat across him on the twin sofas. Sebastian served them tea and left them to discuss their business.

"So, how's married life treating you?" Asked the president.

Kuon frowned at him and shook his head little to tell him not to ask that without Kyoko noticing him signaling the president off. Kuon was afraid Kyoko might feel uncomfortable and recoil and won't open up to him even more.

Kyoko flushed red in embarrassment. She is still not very comfortable with the subject of her marriage to Kuon. While Lory pouted slightly at Kuon and sighed silently.

"I guess you two have been busy with work. Just don't neglect each other, okay?" He advised to them. "Now, I called you both here to discuss Kyoko-chan's debut." He handed them both a script. "This is what I had in mind. You two will play the lead."

"B-but isn't that too much, president?" Kyoko argued. "My debut and I'm working with Ren already? He doesn't need to do this."

"Kyoko-chan, I'm not the only one who decides who to offer lead roles of a movie project that is predicted to be in the box-office." The president told her truthfully. "We accept offers and the actors decide if they will accept the roles or not. Sometimes, we recommend other actors for the role but it really is up to the big people in that movie or drama project who they will decide as acceptable. Director Ogata asked for you and Ren. I didn't decide it. I only decide if you are ready and have the capacity to accept and act those lead roles you're offered."

"So, this is going to be your big movie debut. It's up to you to accept it or not." Lory said. "You are married and I have decided that you have graduated from Love Me and are now a full-pledge actress. You have the ability and capacity to be a great actress. Therefore, it is up to you whether you would want this movie project as your debut or not. We can look for something else if you decide not to. But I fully recommend this. This is a fair request for you and for Ren. I didn't pull any strings and I don't have anything to do with this project whatsoever. You earned this offer by your own power, Kyoko-chan. You should be proud of that."

Lory beamed proudly at her. He felt like his daughter just graduated valedictorian in high school. He had schemes and plans for his two lovebirds but this one just landed on his lap two days ago at the perfect moment.

Kyoko was smiled shyly and felt really happy at what the president had told her. She had earned an offer of a lead role against Tsuruga Ren on her own without any of the president's influence. Kuon looked at her with a heavenly smile too. He was so happy and so proud of his very talented wife. His chest puffing up especially because she was now his wife. He just felt so possessive at the moment. But he really did enjoy seeing her grow and turn into a beautiful butterfly ready for a flight right in front of his eyes.

"Now, go review that script and if you both want it, let me know anytime within the next three days." Lory concluded their meeting and let them go to their jobs scheduled for the day.

Later that night, Kyoko met Kanae at the Love Me room and they both went to Kyoko's new home. They were going to have a slumber party. Kanae was coming to check out their new home since she still haven't seen it. She was really impressed at how beautiful their house was. Kanae especially liked their bath tub. So, Kyoko filled and bubbled it up and they had a nice warm bath together after dinner. They totally fit in the tub because it was huge and designed for two or three people.

"Wow... I will happily marry if I can have a great house like this and a tub this heavenly." Kanae sighed in complete bliss. Kyoko only giggled. "So... how far have you gone with him?"

Kyoko frowned innocently, clearly not understanding her best friend's question. "Gone where, Moko-san?"

"Kyoko, I already know you already went all the way but you don't remember that. I'm asking how far have you gone with him since you got sober?" Kanae asked again and saw a really big question mark near her head. Kanae sighed. "You're sleeping on the same bed, am I right?" Kanae revised her question.

"Y-yes." Kyoko blushed as she answered shyly.

"So?" Kanae asked and gestured for Kyoko to tell her all the details but clearly Kyoko did not understand what details she wanted. "Ugh! Kyoko, do I have to spell it out for you? I'm asking if you have sex with him already or touch each other since the last time I saw you!"

"M-moko-san!" Kyoko blushed furiously and went under the water to hide her embarrassment to the vulgar question.

"What? You two are married and you admitted that you sleep in the same bed." Kanae argued as she rolled her eyes. Air bubbles coming out of the water was Kyoko's only answer and Kanae laughed at her innocence. Kanae was glad she was still the same Kyoko as before.

"Kyoko, I'm home. Are you in there?" Kuon's voice outside the bathroom door asked. Kyoko was still underwater and didn't hear him. Kanae only stiffened as Kyoko resurfaced again. "Babe? Please answer me or I'll think you're drowning." He said worriedly.

Kyoko jumped in surprise to hear Kuon for the first time. "No! I-I'm fine, Kuon." Kyoko replied quickly.

'babe?' Kanae mouthed at Kyoko with a mischievous smile. Kyoko splashed her some water.

"Yes, were fine, Tsuruga-san." Kanae chimed in joyfully to make the man feel a little jealous and to tease Kyoko even more. "Your _babe_ and I are just enjoying a nice... warm... bath together and having girl talk." She drawled the word nice and warm.

"I see." Kuon replied and Kyoko could just hear him smiling too. "Well, I'm just going to change and head downstairs to eat so I can leave you to your girl talk... Oh, and Kyoko?"

"Yes?" Kyoko replied on alert.

"I'm home." He said so lovingly that even Kanae flushed a little as if she was intruding in a private husband and wife moment.

"W-welcome home." Kyoko replied as her face heated up once again.

* * *

><p><em>Hahaha! Kuon got Kanae in the end. She thought she had him with the "Babe" and just when she thought she won, Kuon went for the kill! Hahaha I totally didn't plan that part. I just went with the flow and came up with that. It was so fun! Though, I'm sorry for making it thrilling by not telling you right away their movie debut. I was really excited on revealing the story I picked because the roles really fit them and their circumstances for this story. But I decided to do it next chapter and reveal it all than give you a taste and then suddenly cut it short. I hope you look forward to the next chapter...<em>

_As always, I thank you guys for all your support in reading, reviewing, fav-ing, following and just liking my stories. I love you guys. I'll try my best to update regularly which is every two weeks because I have two on going stories. But sometimes life messes up my schedule or I'm just stuck. So just letting you all know... See you guys next update. Take care and God bless! ^_^_


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat and Ai to Himegoto or any of its characters, plots, etc...

_I'm really sorry, you guys, for not updating for so long. I'm still in a slump ever since my cousin died. I've been having trouble sleeping and I just feel that something is weighing me down inside. I really tried to finish the chapters I've started. I forced myself to start the new chapters of BR and TGE because when will I get it done if I don't start it? And sometimes, I'm just having trouble starting it and after that it's smooth sailing. But it was different this time. My mind went as blank as the pages of a new document. No ideas were jumping up begging to be wrote. I tried things to get me going again. I read romance novels, skip beat fanfics, watch anime, relaxed... But it didn't fully recharged or restore me... I hope you understand my situation. I'm sorry for all the babbling. You can go ahead and read what you have been waiting for. Enjoy! ^_^_

Recap:

"Yes, were fine, Tsuruga-san." Kanae chimed in joyfully to make the man feel a little jealous and to tease Kyoko even more. "Your _babe_ and I are just enjoying a nice... warm... bath together and having girl talk." She drawled the word nice and warm.

"I see." Kuon replied and Kyoko could just hear him smiling too. "Well, I'm just going to change and head downstairs to eat so I can leave you to your girl talk... Oh, and Kyoko?"

"Yes?" Kyoko replied on alert.

"I'm home." He said so lovingly that even Kanae flushed a little as if she was intruding in a private husband and wife moment.

"W-welcome home." Kyoko replied as her face heated up once again.

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 21:

_I feel like a Hero_

_And you are my Heroine_

_Do you know that your love_

_Is the sweetest sin?_

The night after Kanae's sleep over, Kyoko was sitting on Kuon's huge bed which was now their bed. It was half past ten already in the evening as she started reading the script the president had given her as her debut, not just as a movie actress but also as a full-pledged actress.

She read the title on the cover. "Ai Hime" and underneath it was "Ai to Himegoto"

_Love Princess ~ Love and Secret_

_Leave it to the president pick this script. _Kyoko thought dryly._ It has his soul written all over it. _

She started reading the overview of the story and the character she would play. If she accepted, which was totally absurd if she refused a chance to debut, she would be playing Takagi Mao, a sixteen year-old high school girl. Her parents were going overseas for work and she had to move in with her uncle and now guardian, Takagi Jinya, who she had kissed before under an early blossoming Sakura Tree without knowing he was her uncle. And that was the start of their forbidden love between niece and uncle.

Kyoko sighed because it was so like the president. A forbidden love. But then, a thought caught her attention. Kuon would be playing her uncle. Her lips started to lift into a smile.

_How would he feel about that? _She wondered. _Am I going to call him Oji-san? _

She couldn't stop the giggle that escaped from her lips which was stopped abruptly by her yawn. She was really starting to feel so tired since the other night. She put all thought at the back of her mind and started to read the script. She came across the kiss that the overview mentioned. Then, she read about the two of them fighting what they were feeling for each other especially the girl, her character. She was silently cheering her own character on for being so brave in fighting that stupid, worthless feeling. She was annoyed when she read how cool and stoic Ren's character was. He was a little bit condescending, too. She pouted.

She read thee next lines but her eyelids felt like a ton and she had no more strength to keep them open. She fell into a blissful sleep. Kuon arrived twenty minutes later to find his wife asleep and half sitting on the bed with a script on hand. He stood there near the stairs and just watched her peacefully sleeping. After a few minutes, he went over to her. He took the script from her hand, put it on the bedside table and properly laid her down on the bed to comfortably sleep without her waking up the next morning with a stiff neck.

He stood up and looked at the script his wife was reading before she fell asleep. It was her movie debut with him offered as the leading man. He sank down on the side of the bed gently to not disturb Kyoko and took the script. He began reading it and occasionally scheming through some parts to quickly get the important parts of the story.

When he started reading, he got hooked and read it scene after scene and skipped a few lines here and there, now and again, just reading important lines. But what really caught his eyes were the kiss scene after kiss scene after kiss scene that he had read. His eyes even widened when he read through one which looked like it was going to be a love scene but he let out a big sigh of relief when he read that they didn't go all the way. But when he didn't expected it, his eyes bugged out at the one love scene which he could deduced as very heavy on the emotions of pure and unadulterated love between Mao and Jin making love for the first time.

Kuon's body warmed up instantly and his lower body stirred. His eyes automatically sought the face of his beloved wife innocently sleeping without a care in the world beside him. His eyes wandered down her form and he gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He tossed the script back on the bedside table and abruptly stood up. He took a deep breath and he forced his feet to move to take him to the bathroom and locked the door. He needed a cold shower before he lost his sanity and do something that would scare Kyoko off and start sleeping in the guest room above the garage instead of his bed beside him.

* * *

><p>The next day was busy as usual. Kyoko spent her free times reading her movie debut script. She was also horrified to read those kiss scenes after kiss scene and she blushed tomato red from head to toe when she read that Mao wanted to go to the Hotel room which implied that she wanted to do... It.<p>

Kyoko's heart was pounding really hard against her rib cage. She felt like it might burst open any minute as she continued reading the script on how the scene in the hotel room would go. When She finally read the lines, she sagged in relief when she found out Mao and Jin had stopped before it would get really serious. But it was still really embarrassing as she thought of when she would be the one performing the scene she was reading. Her mind wandered and thought of Ren as Jin doing the scene with her. She shivered involuntarily just thinking about it.

Kyoko shook her head furiously to erase the thoughts from her mind. She determinedly put it at the back of her mind as she focused at the job she was going to do in a while.

* * *

><p>Kuon got home at nine for once and found his pretty little wife dancing about in the kitchen making delicious food. He leaned by the entrance to the dining and kitchen and watched her silently with satisfaction and contentment of a real husband. She hummed a tune as she put spices on her dishes. A warm smile crossed his face. He had the urge to go to her and wrap his arms around her waist and kissed her senseless. The former would be doable and within Kyoko's range of acceptance as display of affection between them, but he still wanted to soak up the beautiful image of his wife in their kitchen making food for her and him, her husband.<p>

Ever since they got home from their vacation in LA, they haven't had time to settle into their new life together. Except for living together, sharing a bed and his name with Kyoko, and spoiling or pampering her, they haven't had the time to do something very newlyweds. They were both so busy catching up with there work, it was even possible to even see each other awake at times. Kyoko is often asleep by the time Ren got home and he often left for work earlier than her.

Kyoko turned around to get the serving plate for her dish and she froze when she finally noticed her husband.

"Kuon! W-he, how long have you been standing there?" Kyoko exclaimed.

Kuon pulled himself from the wall as a warm smile graced his lips again. He walked to her and gave in to what his mind has been telling him to do. He walked up to her in purposeful steps and enveloped her with his arms and he leaned down to capture her lips. The moment his lips touched hers, all the control he had seemed to have vanished as if it wasn't there to begin with.

He kissed her with all the love and longings of his heart. He traced her lower lip with his tongue. She gasped at the contact and the new sensations it invoked in her. Kuon took the chance to deepened the kiss and invaded her mouth with his tongue. Kyoko could not help but moan and whimper a little at his ministrations. Her body went up in flames and she had no control over it. Her arms went around his neck and she held on with her dear life as her knees gave out. Kuon pulled her even closer to him as her fingers unconsciously played with his hair at the base of the back of his head.

"K..uon..." She moaned.

The moan both lit a fire in him and woke him up from their intense kissing. He slowly and gently pulled away. But dropped small kisses on her lips twice before he could finally stop. He looked at her flushed face, eyes still closed and slowly opening to show a desire filled eyes. She now looked like a newlywed wife. Kuon had to bite the inside on his cheek and his fist clenched to prevent himself from losing control and devouring his sweet wife in their new kitchen.

"I'm home." He said instead with a heavenly smile that he unknowingly show her that blinded her and her demons.

Kyoko had to blink twice before she could understand what he said and what just happened. She blushed furiously. Then, she caught a scent of something not right with her sense of smell. She turned her head and saw her dish smoking a little. She exclaimed and leaped out of Kuon's arms to salvage their dinner.

Kyoko eventually replied 'welcome home' to Kuon after she was done rescuing and resuscitating their food for dinner and after he heard her grumble about six foot tall distractions that caused major disasters. They ate their food and discussed their day, their current and future jobs. The subject of her movie debut came up and the steamy kiss that was forgotten was now in the forefront of their minds.

"It's really right up in the boss alley." Kuon commented. "No wonder he insists on it to be your movie debut."

"I know. It has his name written all over it." Kyoko agreed.

"So, are you going to accept it?" Kuon asked. "I won't accept it if you won't."

"What! Why?"

"Kyoko, you're my wife. I refuse to do things that will hurt, disrespect or dishonor you. There is no job that could be so important to risk hurting you, disrespecting or dishonoring you in anyone's eyes especially yours." Kuon explained with serious eyes that seemed to pierced her to her very core.

"But-"

"If it was just one or two kissing scenes, then I would accept it. I wouldn't say I won't accept jobs with kissing scenes with women other than you. But in this movie, there's just too much." Kuon reasoned. "Are you saying you are okay with me acting all those intimate scenes with another woman? Because I won't be able to take it if you were acting all those kissing scenes with another man!"

"No!" Kyoko blurted out.

Kuon's brows furrowed. "No, you don't like my jealousy or no, you don't like see me kissing another woman?"

Kyoko was silent as her wide eyes stared at him. After a long moment of silence, she finally answered, "...No, I don't like..." She paused and made Kuon feel frustrated for dramatically delaying her reply. Then, her cheeks flushed and he knew her answer before she uttered the words. "...seeing you doing all those scenes with another woman..." She whispered.

Kuon's face lit up like a neon sign in Las vegas at her answer. "So, are you going to accept it or not?"

"Of course, I'll accept it. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity." She said with a determined face and a clenched fist.

After dinner Kuon washed the dishes as Kyoko used the bathroom to prepare for bed and Kuon prepared for bed after her. It was the fourth time they went to bed together that both still awake. Kyoko was already beneath the covers with her falling eyes. She was still nervous at the thought of them going to bed together at the same time. She just didn't know what to do or what Kuon expected her to do. But her exhausted body was telling her something else. It wanted to rest already.

Kuon smiled at her cute expression as he got in and under the blanket beside her on the bed. He turned off the lights and told her goodnight. She mumbled her reply as her eyes finally won and closed shut. As she was already falling asleep, he kissed her forehead and pulled her close to his body and let his exhaustion fill him, too.

The next thing Kyoko knew she felt like she was floating. She felt hot all over. She was feeling really good but it seemed like it wasn't enough. She was longing for more and more and more... of what? She had no idea. Then, suddenly something was fulfilling her wants of more. She felt good and good, so good, really good and...

Her eyes wide open and then shut tight just as instantly as she reached the top of her longing and wanting of more. She was breathing hard as she came down from who knows where she had gone. She felt sated and very comfortable and warm. As her breathing calmed down, she slowly fell back to sleep not knowing that she, a five foot three inches distraction, could also cause hell in her wake... Or sleep?

* * *

><p>The morning Kyoko slowly awoke when her alarm clock rang very loudly. She slowly opened her eyes as her brain started to fully awaken. The room was dim with the curtains drawn close. She stretched lazily on the bed and turned to turn off the alarm. She noticed that nothing was constricting her, no arms or legs around her, which means Kuon wasn't on the bed already. She felt the space her husband usually lie on with her hand and found that it was already cold.<p>

Before she could think of how long he has been out of bed, she heard him got out of his closet and into the bedroom. He was putting on his jacket. When he saw her already awake, he paused for a moment as he stared at her and then, smiled and greeted her good morning.

"I'm sorry for taking off so early." Kuon apologized. "I have a shoot scheduled at seven."

Kyoko shook her head. "I understand." She replied with an understanding smile. "When I'm as famous as you are, I'm going to be as busy as you are, too. Just you wait."

"Hmmm... I don't think it's as appealing as it sounds." Kuon replied with a frown. "We won't have time to for each other even more. I'll be lucky if I get to be alone with you for five minutes."

She looked a little dismayed and then, she narrowed her eyes at him. "Are saying you don't want me to be successful in my career?"

"Of course, I want you to succeed." Kuon immediately said defensively. "What I meant was that we have get another Yashiro for you so we can have time to breath, relax and be with each other."

Kyoko put a finger on her chin as she looked up thinking. "I wonder if Yashiro-san has a twin brother?"

Kuon chuckled and noticed the time. "I'm sorry but I have to go. Enjoy your day and be careful." He flashed her a smile and headed for the stairs.

Kyoko frowned in confusion. Something was strange. She suddenly heard him sneezed on the third step down.

"Are you okay? Are you sick? Do you have a cold?" Kyoko asked a barrage of concerned questions. She was ready to leap out of bed to go to him.

Kuon wanted to laugh at the irony of the word 'cold.' He would have laughed if he did not feel painful. He was not even close to feeling cold. He was very hot. Hot for his wife who was sexily sitting on their bed. His wife that was off limits. He smiled wryly.

"Relax, Kyoko. I'm alright. Just someone thinking and worrying about me." He said as he gave her a long look which indicated that she was the one he was talking about. "I gotta go, babe. Bye." With that he went down the stairs and out of her sight.

She was even more confused. Something just wasn't right and she spent a good five minutes sitting on the bed thinking of what was wrong with their morning. Then, it suddenly hit her.

Kuon did not kiss her goodbye. Not even a peck on the cheek or forehead. In the last two weeks she was getting accustomed to being kissed on the cheek or on the forehead before he heads out. She sleepily felt it in the mornings when he heads out earlier than her, which was often. But this was the first morning since they got back in the country that he hadn't kiss her goodbye.

_Why? _She asked to herself so innocently.

* * *

><p><em>Oh, Kyoko... What am I gonna do with you? Hahaha Poor, Kuon... :( He didn't risked touching her in case he might completely lost control of himself and continue from where she left him off last night... Sweetest sin indeed! I'd say it's bittersweet, though... LOL Anyways, I hope it wasn't too much and that it was suitable for the rating. I'm not ready yet to write rated M scenes. I don't think I can realistically portray a rated M scene right now. Anyways, I hope you liked it. And once again I'm very sorry for the late update. Hontou ni gomen nasai! (Dogeza) <em>

_Thank you for still reading, writing, reviewing, following, fav-ing and liking my stories, even though everyone feels really frustrated about my really slow and irregular update. Life's looking pretty down right now, but I know it will start to look up eventually. God is always there behind the clouds. :) See yah next chap... Let me know what you think about this chappie! Love yah, minna! ^_^_


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat! Manga or any or of it's characters, plots, etc...

_I am very sorry for the very, very late update. I took a week off from writing first week of November coz of my birthday. Second week, my back hurt. And this week, I have cough and cold! Ugh! I always get sick during season change. :( I know you really don't care about this, so I'll let you go ahead and read the chapter now. Enjoy! ^_^ Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And Happy shopping on Black Friday! _

Recap:

"Relax, Kyoko. I'm alright. Just someone thinking and worrying about me." He said as he gave her a long look which indicated that she was the one he was talking about. "I gotta go, babe. Bye." With that he went down the stairs and out of her sight.

She was even more confused. Something just wasn't right and she spent a good five minutes sitting on the bed thinking of what was wrong with their morning. Then, it suddenly hit her.

Kuon did not kiss her goodbye. Not even a peck on the cheek or forehead. In the last two weeks she was getting accustomed to being kissed on the cheek or on the forehead before he heads out. She sleepily felt it in the mornings when he heads out earlier than her, which was often. But this was the first morning since they got back in the country that he hadn't kiss her goodbye.

_Why? _She asked to herself so innocently.

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 22:

_When I think of you_

_I don't know what to do_

_When will I see you again?_

_I miss you like crazy_

_Even more than words can say_

_I miss you like crazy_

_Every minute of everyday_

It has been three nights since Ren went out of town for on-location filming. Kyoko was terribly missing him. He called her that at three in the afternoon that same day he went to work without kissing her goodbye. He asked her to pack some clothes for him for a five day on-location filming out of town since she would go home early, so he could just pick it up after work and go straight to his filming location. He even teased her about not forgetting to pack his underwear which made her blush and stutter in reply. Ren chuckled at the other end, clearly enjoying teasing her. That temporarily put those confusing questions out of her mind.

That same night, Ren picked his luggage up at half an hour past nine. Kyoko tried to stay up to say goodbye but she could not stop her eyes from falling close. She dozed off eventually and missed Ren as he picked up his luggage and and his brief goodbye kiss on her forehead.

The next day, she was woken up by her alarm and was feeling a little cold and felt their room a little empty, their bed a little too big. It was a weird feeling and she tried to put it aside and prepared to her day ahead. She still wanted to sleep even though she already slept a solid ten hours. She dragged herself from the huge bed and went to take a shower. She went about her day as usual. She still have love me assignments but it was not as many and as big as before. She went to filming her dramas and then she went to acting as Bo.

Unfortunately, the guest for that night was none other than Fuwa Sho himself. She was a little grateful that they didn't require Bo to go fetch the guest for the night. Bo was apparently only doing that to the female guests since Bo was a rooster. She did her thing as usual making people laugh with Bo's antics. Then, they announced their guest and Sho came on stage. They interviewed him about his new hit single and his upcoming nationwide tour.

After all the talking is done, they all played chicken fight. Since the last time Sho was in the show, they played his specialty, Badminton, they were going to play Bo's specialty this time. They went to the free space on stage were they put a square white line on the floor as sort of their ring to fight in. It was Sho versus Bo. They bended their leg in front of them with both hands holding it in place over their other knee as they stood on one feet.

"The rule is the one who goes down or step outside the square will lose." Yuusei announced.

"It's a two out three game. The one who first score two points wins." Hikaru informed them.

"Bo, please be gentle with our guest." Shin'ichi joked.

"Don't worry, Ishibashi-san, I'll be gentle with the chicken." Sho said smugly which angered Kyoko.

She glared at him from inside the chicken suit and revved her engines to take down the self-centered singer. When she heard Hikaru said fight, she hopped on one foot to attack their guest. Sho was surprised by how fast the big chicken got in front of him and he went down on his butt before he knew it. The audience 'aww'ed in disappointment and some threatened Bo to roast him on an open fire for hurting their beloved idol.

Sho was stunned for a few seconds but recovered after and he stood immediately. "You took me by surprise, Bo-san. I didn't know you could move so fast considering your size." Sho explained as to not let the audience think he was easily defeated by a chicken.

They started round two and both the fighter lunged for each other at the same time after they were called to fight. Using Sho's height he came down on the chicken three times and made Bo lose his balance. The chicken laid flat on the floor. Thankfully for Kyoko, she was cushioned inside with the paddings of the costume, so it didn't really hurt her. But the problem was getting up in such a big and round costume. She tried to push herself from the ground and tried to find footing but it really was difficult.

The audience laughed at his difficulty while Sho stood towering in front of the chicken with a smug smile. Kyoko's anger flared again and she was breathing hard inside the costume which felt like the inside of an oven. Hikaru and Shin'ichi went to help her up because Sho was too busy basking in his victory.

"Don't you dare lose, Bo. I bet on you!" Yuusei cried out to Bo, in all fours on the floor near the box ring and banging his fist on the floor like the coaches on the side of the boxing ring when their boxers went down. "Get up and smack that smug smile off his face!"

The audience burst out in catcalls and booed Yuusei for saying something like that to their beloved Sho. While a little of the others chuckled and called shouts of approval to Yuusei.

Bo finally got up and positioned like Sumo wrestler stomping each feet heavily on the floor. The three hosts acted like the floor was shaking like an earthquake when Bo stomped each feet and the studio rang in laughter again. Then Bo pointed at Sho and then he curled his wing fingers into a fist and his thumb pointed down as if to say "You're going down!" Yuusei shouted in approval.

Sho's smug smile faltered a bit but he composed his face back to his mug smile and said, "No, Bo-san, You. Are. Going down!" He imitated Bo's gesture of a thumb down.

The hosts were enjoying the show between the two fighters as they warned everyone to brace themselves because tensions are running high in the studio. Both fighters in position, standing on one leg at the opposite edge of the lined square facing each other. When Hikaru announced to start the fight both fighters hopped towards each other and kept bumping each other to make the other one fall. Sho made use of his height again but Bo knew better and made use of his big round stomach too and kept bumping Sho with it. Sho started to take steps back because if he stepped too close to the chicken he would have lost his balance because of his big round stomach. Bo kept bumping him and he kept stepping back. And before he realized what happened, a loud bell rang three times like in a boxers fight that signals the end and a winner will be announced after.

Bo spread his wings up and jumped in triumphed. He ran by the crowd seated in the front row his hand extended to them for high fives. Sho was shock for a moment and demanded why he lost when he didn't go down yet.

"I'm sorry, Fuwa-san, but look where you are standing." Hikaru informed him while Yuusei was running to Bo bumping chest with him in total excitement. He took Bo's hand and held up to announce who was the winner.

Sho looked down to where he was standing and sure enough, he was standing outside the lined square on the floor as their fighting ring. They immediately close the show after that, thanking Sho for participating in their show and games. He announced again his nationwide tour, inviting everyone to go and watch him perform live.

Sho was so pissed that he went straight to his dressing room and threw angrily anything he could get his hands on. Kyoko was saved as she changed out of the costume hurriedly without even properly wiping herself from the sweat she worked out inside that oven of a costume. She said a very quick goodbye to the brothers, the crew and staff with a quick bow and "thank you for your hard work" that left them all stunned, wondering if they just imagined it or if it really happened. She dashed to the parking lot where her driver patiently awaited. She was running on adrenaline after the show and on the way home as she relaxed in the back seat, the adrenaline slowly wore off and she felt exhausted. She closed her eyes and didn't notice her phone lighting up in her purse telling her someone was calling since she put it on silent.

That second night even though she was exhausted, she slept restlessly, tossing and turning on the huge wide bed. In her sleep she kept reaching her hand to Kuon's side of the bed trying to find his warmth unconsciously. The next morning she was woken up by her alarm again and she sat upright when she noticed that she was running late. Her alarm already rang two times before she was woken up by it. When she looked around she found out that during the night she moved to Kuon's side of the bed where she woke up in that morning.

Kyoko didn't have time to think about it when she suddenly felt like something kicked her in the gut and she was running to the bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach. She was leaning on the bowl feeling weak where Namiko, their housekeeper and cook, found her.

"Kyoko-chan? What has happened?" She hurriedly went to Kyoko's side. "What's wrong? Are you ill? Do you want me to call for an ambulance?"

Kyoko slowly lifted a hand up to assure her. "I... I'm alright, Na-namiko-san." Kyoko replied weakly.

"Is it food poisoning? Have I cooked something bad?" She asked horrified.

"No..." Kyoko weakly shook her head. "I just feel weak after throwing up everything in my stomach..." Namiko continued to look at her worriedly and unconsciously rubbed Kyoko's back in comfort. "I'll be fine after a hot bath and hot soup for breakfast."

Namiko stared at her for a several seconds longer to make sure she was really capable of going to work after a hot bath and a hot soup. But she obliged to Kyoko's wishes and helped Kyoko back to sit on the bed for a moment while she prepared her bath. Kyoko tried to protest but she couldn't find the energy to do so.

After the bath was prepared, Namiko helped Kyoko get undressed and inside the tub. Then, she went downstairs to prepare that hot soup she was talking about. And prepared also a hot tea she knew to be good for the stomach. She went back upstairs to find Kyoko already dressed and getting her things ready before she went out. The soup and tea did their job and she energetically went out to work that day.

She had her current drama filming all day and she stayed safely in the studio that day. She went home at eight in the evening. While in the car she talked to Kanae all through the ride. They were still talking when she walked in the house and smelled dinner.

She felt like she was kicked in the gut again as her stomach turned violently. She stopped talking, covered her mouth and ran for the toilet on the first floor. She heaved soundly and the sound carried to the other end of the phone where a confused Kanae was listening. Namiko also noticed her from the kitchen where she was preparing to serve Kyoko her dinner. She ran to the bathroom when she heard Kyoko retching.

Both Namiko and Kanae were asking what was wrong with her. Kanae hang up after shouting from the other end that she was coming by right after she finished her work. Kyoko was busy retching to assure Kanae it was not necessary. Namiko rubbed her back in small comfort.

"What made you throw up, Kyoko-chan?" Namiko asked the girl with suspicion of what was happening to the newlywed sweet girl that was her employer.

Kyoko was not able to answer the woman's question right away. She was still busy gagging, coughing, and feeling really sick to the stomach. When she was finally done and all her energy was drained out of her as well as all the food that she had eaten that day, she slumped against the bowl with head resting on her forearm.

"I think it was the smell of the food." Kyoko replied weakly. There was silence as Namiko paused in rubbing her back for a second and then she continued.

"I think... I think you should get yourself checked out by your doctor." Namiko suggested solemnly. "I think you'll hear a good news."

Later that night she convinced Kanae not to drop by assuring her best friend that she was perfectly fine. While she was talking to Kanae she missed Kuon's call again. Her line was busy, he could not go through. Namiko's words echoed in Kyoko's head as she laid restlessly on their huge bed. She could not keep the words out of her mind. It was troubling her because she could guess what the older woman was implying. And what the older woman was implying was terrifying to her. It terrified her and she wished Kuon was there with her to hold her and whisper to her that everything was going to be alright.

Kyoko was always strong and she did not cry easily. But that night she cried herself to sleep while hugging a pillow close to her wishing that she Kuon was there but at the same time not. She wanted him there because she missed him. She missed his warmth and his comforting arm around her. But at the same time she did not want him there because she didn't want him knowing about her being sick or what the fact her sickness implied.

* * *

><p>The next day she went to Sawara and asked if there was a private doctor LME used for their employees. Sawara informed her that there was and that if she wanted to go see one, he would gladly make her an appointment. She went to her jobs that day almost in a daze. Sawara told her that he would contact her of the informations later after he was done making the appointment.<p>

What she didn't know was that right after she went out of Sawara's office, he called the president immediately and informed him of the news. The president was already ready for this course of action and he provided Sawara of what he needed to give to Kyoko. He was so excited of the prospect of the result that he totally forgot Kuon was out of town and won't be able to be with Kyoko on her doctor's appointment.

That night, Kyoko received all the information from Sawara and he even rescheduled some of her jobs to fit the doctor's appointment the next day. The fourth night Kuon was gone, Kyoko was like a log on top of their bed. Not because she was sleeping so soundly but she was so nervous. She laid down on the bed on her back straight a log looking up at the ceiling with wide awake eyes. She could not sleep as she kept thinking of that doctor's appointment the next day. She knew she needed sleep for her complexion and energy needed for her jobs. But their were a lot of butterflies having a riot in her stomach and she could not seem to control her heartbeat.

The next day, she found out she did fell asleep but only for less than six hours. She slowly sat up and stood up to go to the bathroom and prepare. She was glad she did not feel dizzy or sick like yesterday morning. She was starting to feel calm and and a bit happy for the day ahead. She went to an interview that day. They interviewed her for her wonderfully acted antagonist role as an evil witch, as usual, torturing the protagonists. But with a level up of magic powers. It was also her first time shooting with green screen, wires, full CG effects. She enjoyed it, especially seeing the finished episodes which showed the very cool effects.

At four in the afternoon, her driver, Ryuu, drove her to the private clinic the LME used for their famous employees who needed complete privacy. Ryuu offered to accompany her inside but she refused and told him to just relax here or somewhere nice. Ryuu watched the small girl gingerly went to the entrance of the building. He hoped she was alright and she would come out with good news. He really liked his two employers. They were very sweet and so much in love. Sure, they were a little unusual when he met them at first. But during the two weeks that he spent with them, he saw how much Tsuruga Ren loved his adorable wife.

But two hours later, he woke up from a nap to find the sky darkening and the street lights started to light up. He looked around and saw that Kyoko still wasn't in the car or anywhere near. He went out and went inside the clinic.

"Is Hi-, I mean, Mogami Kyoko still inside?" He asked the receptionist at the booth desk.

"I am sorry but we don't give information to anyone." The receptionist answered him.

He pulled out his driver's license and calling card of LME's HR (Human Resource) and showed it to the woman. "I am Mogami-san's personal driver. You can call LME to verify it."

He patiently waited for the woman to call and verify. After she hung up the phone she thanked him for his understanding and asked if he could wait a few more minutes for her to check. After she typed on the keyboard, a few clicks on the mouse and she looked up at him and said, "Mogami-san was already done an hour ago." She informed him.

Ryuu frowned and wondered where Kyoko had gone if she was done.

"She's the one with the shoulder length orange hair?" She asked Ryuu and he nodded. "I think I saw her walked out of here an hour ago. But I'm not sure, I was working on something in the computer."

Ryuu thanked the kind woman and went out to search around the area for Kyoko. He tried to call her but it just went to voice mail every time. After searching for her for thirty minutes, he was now really worried and had no choice but to inform the president of what has happened. He was already filled with guilt over losing sight of his charge. It's more than a job to him. He already considered them like family and her almost like a niece or daughter to him.

"Hello." Sebastian answered the phone.

"Sir, I am most sincerely sorry. I, uh," He paused, having a little trouble saying it. "I lost Kyoko-san in the clinic. I've looked nearby. I haven't found her and I can't connect to her phone. She... She's missing. I'm really sorry."

* * *

><p><em>I know it's kinda boring but next chapter will be good. I wonder how Kuon's gonna react finding out his wife is missing... And I will explain everything... And please PRAY for the people in the Philippines who were affected by the super typhoon. Thank you! I really hoped you at least like this chapter. I'm on the process of getting back in shape again with my writing. I hope it will continue.<em>

_I thank everyone of you for your continues support in reading, reviewing, following, favs and just liking my stories. Love you all. May God bless you and give you all good health... I'll read you next chappie update... Laterzz! ^_^_


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat! Manga or any or of it's characters, plots, etc...

_Please excuse my poor grammar, limited vocabs and typos, it's already 2am and I'm kinda sleepy already... I hope you like this chappie... Enjoy! ^_^_

RECAP:

"Hello." Sebastian answered the phone.

"Sir, I am most sincerely sorry. I, uh," He paused, having a little trouble saying it. "I lost Kyoko-san in the clinic. I've looked nearby. I haven't found her and I can't connect to her phone. She... She's missing. I'm really sorry."

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 23:

_And if you have a minute why don't we go_

_Talk about it somewhere only we know?_

_This could be the end of everything_

_So, why don't we go_

_Somewhere only we know?_

Kuon just dropped Yashiro at his apartment and was eagerly making his way home to his wife. He was extremely worried about her. Ever since he went out of town he could not contact her. He called home and was able to speak with Namiko and she assured him that his wife was alright and was just busy and tired. He also spoke to Ryuu once and he inquired about her schedule and how she was doing. Ryuu told him her schedule was not that heavy or packed. It was just enough to do for a day's work. But ever since he could not reach her the second night he was away, he had this gut feeling that something wasn't right. So he sincerely asked a favor to the director to shoot all his scenes first and he did his best to have it in one take. And the last night he was there, they stopped filming at midnight and then went back at it again at five in the morning.

His phone rang and broke his concentration of driving home fast. He thought twice of answering it because he won't really be able to relax before he see Kyoko and hold her in his arms. But when he checked who was calling, he slowed down and answered his phone with a sigh.

"Hello, boss."

"I heard from Yashiro you are already on your way home?" Lory inquired without preamble.

"You heard right." He answered noncommittally.

"Come straight to my house." He commanded.

"Why the hell would I do that?" He bit out showing his irritation. "I'm on my way home to see Kyoko. I haven't talked to her since I went out of town."

Lory sighed. He really didn't want to do this over the phone but he was a bit relieved that he would not take the brunt of Kuon's anger face to face. "Look, I don't want to do this over the phone, Kuon, but... Kyoko's missing."

Kuon's foot stomped on the brake without consciously knowing he was doing so. The driver of the car behind him also stomped on his brake and thankfully the car stopped inches from Kuon's Porsche. The driver honked at him loudly for a few minutes. Kuon did not even notice when the guy's head came out from the car's window and shouted colorful words of curses in anger at him.

Kuon's world stopped revolving the minute he heard Kyoko was missing. Lory could hear the angry sounds of car honking from the other end and hoped to God Kuon did not have an accident. A few minutes of angry honking and Kuon finally woke up. He pulled over to the side of the street to park and not cause traffic commotion. His anger then kicked in.

"How the hell did that happen? I was away for just three days, Boss. THREE DAYS!" Kuon shouted at the phone. "What the f*** happened to make her go missing?"

"Kuon, calm down and come here so we can figure this out and find her faster. It's not going to help, you shouting in anger. It will only delay us." Lory reasoned. Kuon saw red for a few seconds and then he forced himself to calm down and think of Kyoko and how to find her. He ended the call and raced straight to the president's mansion. He didn't care if he broke laws as long as he arrived fast and know what was going on to make Kyoko go missing.

He didn't care to park his car properly, he just went inside straight to the president's study. He stormed in and found the president, Sebastian and the driver, Ryuu.

"Tell me how the f*** this happened?" Kuon demanded with a face that says murder. "How the f*** did she go missing?"

"Sit down and we'll fill you in." Lory replied.

"I will not sit down, Boss! I haven't seen or talked to her for three whole days! I am not calming or sitting down until I find her, see her and hold her in my arms again!"

"Fine." Lory finally gave up trying to talk sensibly at him. "The second day you were gone, she came to Sawara-san and asked if LME has a clinic or doctor they use for our employees because she wanted to see one. Sebastian set the appointments, Sawara gave her the details and Matsumoto-san drove her to her doctor's appointment earlier at four."

"And?" Kuon couldn't help but asked impatiently.

"Well, he kind of took a nap and when he woke up, two hours passed already and Kyoko was nowhere to be found." Lory explained weakly because he knew Kuon would blow up any second now. "He went in the clinic to check but she was done an hour before. He searched nearby but she wasn't there. We constantly kept calling her ever since she'd gone missing but her phone is turned off. So, locating her through her phone is also out."

Kuon's blood pressure rose as he felt the anger rose for the driver who carelessly took a nap and took his sight off his wife. He blindly went back to the door and let his anger out on it by repeatedly punching a hole through. It temporarily released some of the steam off and he could think a little clearly again. He strode back to the men.

"What's wrong with her? Why did she need to see the doctor? Is she sick?" Kuon fired questions out to them. "Never mind. I want to speak with her doctor immediately."

"We tried but he couldn't tell us anything because of doctor-patient confidentiality." Lory answered with a grimace.

"Well, I'm her husband! I have the right to know." Kuon growled out. Sebastian was already dialing the doctor's number because he could see that nobody and nothing would stop Kuon at the moment. He brought the phone to him when it connected to the doctor.

"What's wrong with Mogami Kyoko?" Kuon demanded.

"To whom am I speaking?" The doctor on the other end asked calmly.

"Her husband, Hizuri Kuon. Tell me what's wrong with my wife when she went there earlier?" He nearly growled at the doctor.

"Doctor-patient confidentiality states that I cannot discuss-"

"To hell with doctor-patient confidentiality!"

"I am sorry Hizuri-san but even without doctor-patient confidentiality, She made me promise I won't tell anyone about it, especially you. She said she wants to tell you herself which is perfectly understandable." The doctor again replied calmly, clearly used to angry and unreasonable patients.

"Well, she's not _here_ to tell me!" Kuon replied angrily. "She went missing after she came out of your clinic!"

"I can assure you, Hizuri-san, that your wife is perfectly okay. There's nothing wrong with her. I can only suggest you wait patiently and give her space. It was an overwhelming news for a woman her age. I'm hoping to see you next appointment, Hizuri-san. Have a good day."

Kuon heard the beeping tone ending the call. He was both angry and confused by the last statements the doctor told him. He went and sat on an empty chair numbly and pondered on the doctor's words. The three men in the room looked at him curiously. They wanted to asked him what the doctor said exactly but they could tell he didn't get anything out of the doctor.

_Kyoko was okay. Perfectly okay, even. Nothing was wrong with her. Then why did she go missing? Where did she go? Did somebody took her? F***ing Fuwa? Freak stalker?_

He suddenly remembered Kanae, his wife's best friend. If something happened to his wife, he thought she would go to her best friend if it was girl stuff. He took out his phone and dialed Kanae's number. He got it from Yashiro since it was only appropriate to have the contact information of your wife's best friend. It rang several times and finally it connected.

"I'm busy. Who is this?" Came on an irritated voice from the other end of the connection.

"It's Kuon. Is Kyoko with you?"

"What? No." She replied in surprise.

"Did you see or talked to her today or in the last four hours?" He prodded even more.

"No. Last time I talked to her was the other night. Why? Is she in any trouble?" Kanae was now feeling worried.

"She's gone. She's missing and I'm going crazy!" Kuon exclaimed and then sighed heavily as he rubbed a hand down his face. "Did you notice anything wrong with her when you talked to her?"

"Anything wrong?" Kanae's voice starting to raise. "I just heard her retching in the bathroom at the other end!"

"Retching?" Kuon blinked in surprise and was now filled with worry for Kyoko. "She was vomiting? What's wrong with her? Did she tell you?"

"She assured me she was fine. She said it was only because she ate too much at lunch." He heard something calling for her on the other end. "Look, I need to go. You're in the president's mansion, right? I'll be right there when I finish my job." She paused for and second and added, "Find her, okay?" She barked in both command and worry.

Kuon looked daze after the call and much more confused than when he finished talking with the doctor. Silence reigned in the room for a few minutes until Lory could not help himself anymore. He didn't want to give Kuon false hope if it was the opposite of what he was hoping was the reason why Kyoko went missing. But Kuon was just so filled with worry to realize the obvious condition Kyoko was in. Hearing Kuon trying to confirm if Kyoko was really vomiting or retching sealed his hopeful guess.

"Kuon. I think it's obvious why Kyoko's missing." Lory began. "We knew this was a possibility."

"Possibility? What possibility, Boss? That she'd go missing? That she'd run?" He demanded in anger. "That she'd go somewhere without letting anyone know? Somewhere I dont-"

"KUON! She may be _pregnant_!" Lory exclaimed at the unreasonable young man.

Kuon froze.

"P...pregnant?" He asked breathlessly and softly as if it would break if he spoke of it too loudly.

_PREGNANT._ The thought displayed in his mind as if the capital letters were big buildings dropped from the sky into his mind. He released a breath. He suddenly had a little difficulty breathing. But eventually he breathed in a deep breath that normalized his breathing and his brain resumed functioning.

_I have to find her. _The imperative thought was all that kept repeating in his mind.

"Did you check Darumaya?" He asked suddenly surprising the men who were still watching him for his reaction to the news that Kyoko might be pregnant.

"Yes, we called them and they said they haven't seen her since last week when she visited. I asked them to call if they see her or hear from her, but they haven't called ever since." Lory replied after gathering his thoughts to Kuon's question.

Kuon stood up and paced in front of the three men, making a visible path on the carpet as he went back and forth.

_How is she feeling about the news? Is that why she won't answer my calls when I was gone? Was it because of that night? I don't think she remembered it._ A million thoughts raced through him._ I'm pretty sure she was dreaming when she woke me up as she started rubbing herself against me..._ _And my sleep muddled mind could not help myself and touched her. _He sighed heavily. _Good thing I still had enough sense left not to go all the way. _

He shook his head furiously to shake off his dangerous thoughts because just thinking about it was doing wonders to his lower body. It was not the time to think about those thoughts and fantasize about his own wife who was currently missing. He suddenly stopped pacing as an unfinished sentence came back to him again. _She went somewhere I don't know? _

A precious memory played on his mind. It was the first time they had met all those years ago. _He was lucky to find a clearing in the middle of the woods with a refreshing stream too that cooled the area. But then, he heard sniffing and crying noises from behind bushes. He went closer to the noises and behind those bushes he found a little girl crying. And when she looked up at him he saw two golden orbs looking back at him. Her eyes were the color of a sun setting down- beautiful, bright and clear. It was mesmerizing. The only wrong part to it were the tears streaming down her cheeks. Golden sunsets and rain did not go together. _

"I have to go." He muttered and was going to the door of the study when Lory caught him by the shoulder.

"Hold up, Kuon. Where are you going?"

"To Kyoto." He said in a matter-of-fact tone as if it was obvious to anyone.

"Why?" Lory asked in complete confusion.

"To Kyoko, of course. Why else would I go there?"

"How do you know she's there?"

"Because I know the place she always goes to when she's really upset." Kuon replied with a face that says 'Duh?' that made the president feel silly for asking. Kuon shook off the president's hand and hurriedly went to the door.

"Why are you two always running off to Kyoto?" The president called after him in frustration.

"Because that's where we first met." He called back without looking back at them. On his way to his car which was still in front of the president's front door, he met Yashiro at the door. Yashiro immediately asked him where he was going, too.

"To get my wife." He answered as he climbed into his car and determinedly drove off into the night in a hurry to be with his wife and hold her.

_**~5:00AM the next day... Kyoto~**_

_I walked across an empty land_

_I knew the pathway like the back of my hand_

_I felt the earth beneath my feet_

_Sat by the river and it made me complete..._

Kyoko woke up in an unfamiliar bed. She felt wrong. It was a hard, small bed. When she opened her eyes, she found out it was not really a bed. It was a futon in the middle of a small room. The room should feel familiar to her since it was her room for years when the Fuwas took her in. It looked familiar to her but it didn't feel familiar. She felt like the years she spent there growing up was fake. It was a fake life. It was all a lie because she lived in a fantasy that was also a nightmare there. She lived pleasing others and making people acknowledge her and she lived fantasizing that Sho was her prince charming.

She realized now that she clung to that fantasy to have a reason to be there and to give herself the happiness of loving someone that she desperately craved for back then. She sighed. Now her life was so different from back then. It was still normal three weeks ago.

Her reality in Tokyo.

Her fantasy nightmare of a past in Kyoto.

Now, her life was a dream.

A dream she spun in her head in that very same room about happily ever after. The only thing that was different was her prince charming. Now, her prince was her fairy prince which was now part of that fantasy part of her past because he was not really a fairy. Now, she was married. Somewhat happily, after all the confusion were straightened out and their decisions were made. Now, she was married to an even more handsome prince charming she could imagine. Now, she lived in a beautiful home with a personal driver and a housekeeper/cook.

And NOW... She was pregnant!

The thought unsettled her, made her feel restless. She felt butterflies in her stomach and she suddenly sat up. She folded her futon and went to the restroom to clean up and change into her own clothes from the yukata they'd given her to sleep in. Ten minutes later she was outside. It was still a little dark outside but not as dark as the night. The sky slightly beginning to light up as dawn naturally was. She hugged her purse in front of her as she felt the cold of winter dawn. She put on the hood of her thick winter coat which was given to her by her new mother, Julie.

She slowly and carefully made her way to that special place where she let out all her emotions and problems. It didn't take long and she didn't have any difficulty. She could find her way there with her eyes closed anytime. She was thankful she was wearing flats when she left Tokyo.

She finally arrived at the clearing. She walked to the middle of it and felt peace washed over her. It was her sanctuary.

She went to the rock, little fairy Corn had sat on while she bowed to the King of all hamburger shaped rock. She sat there watching the little stream. The running waters felt like it was washing her of her worries and problems as time ticked by while she sat there watching and listening to it.

She didn't know how much time passed but the next thing she knew she was enveloped in a tight embrace from behind. She was startled at first but when she felt the warmth and smelt his scent, her body relaxed instantly when it recognized the owner of the body hugging her. When her brain caught up to her body, she turned her head and looked at him.

"Why are you here?" She asked him in almost a whisper. She was certainly surprised to find him there that for a moment she though she was imagining him. But his warmth was too real. "You're suppose to be filming on-location."

She was expecting an answer but all she got was his lips pressed on hers. He kissed her so thoroughly yet gently at the same time as if she was made of glass. He didn't force her, but coax her, though she didn't need coaxing. She clearly missed him a lot during the time he was away that she kissed him back with fervor. By the time they parted, they were breathing heavily.

"Do. Not. Scare me like that again." Kuon said sternly and then with puppy dog eyes he continued, "Please..."

Kyoko had no shield or protection from that eyes of his. It was a losing battle every time he makes those eyes. She just could not believe that those eyes could also be the same as the eyes which could kill anyone on the spot when the demon lord emerged.

"I was so worried I nearly went crazy!" Kuon exclaimed. He scooped her up and sat himself down on the rock as he cradled her tightly on his lap. "Promise me you won't do this again. Please..." Again with the puppy dog eyes.

Kyoko caved in and nodded. "Okay, fine. Now, tell me what happened to your on-location job?"

"My job is more important to you than worrying me to death?" He asked, slightly hurt.

"No!" She protested vehemently. "I was realizing that I caused trouble with my impulsive actions."

"You did." He chided her but then smiled gently at her as he always did. "But don't worry. I finished filming early and went home last night only to find my wife missing." He narrowed his eyes at the end of his statement.

"I'm sorry." She said meekly and felt herself blush at him calling her his wife.

"I'm just glad you're safe... Now, what made you come here?" He asked soberly.

She was quiet as she tried her best to look at anything but him. She looked up at the lightening sky, the trees and bushes with glistening moistures in the leaves, the stream that was beginning to glitter a little with the lightening sky. Memories of their childhood flooded her mind and then new memories painted before her eyes of that Christmas day not too long ago. She was not even sure if it was a real memory or just her dream. But when she thought what the consequences of what had started their the second time, she suddenly had the image of a little blonde fairy. But only this time it wasn't little fairy Corn. It was of a little boy much younger than Corn playing there in that clearing like they had when they were little. A little boy who looked exactly like his father.

The powerful image struck her like lightning and she never saw it coming. Like she had no protection or will to refuse Kuon's puppy dog eyes, the image of a much younger little fairy boy playing there and then looking back at her with a million dollar smile that could make any angel's smile a run for their money is impossible to resist. Who could resist that cute angelic smile?

One minute it wasn't there and a second after it was. She was in love with that little blonde-haired, blue-eyed, fairy-looking boy. She was now in love with her unborn baby growing inside her. Happiness instantly filled her like the warmth Kuon brought when he holds her in his arms. She hugged Kuon by the neck tightly and a pure angelic smile crossed her face.

"I'm pregnant." She whispered to him easily with that happiness bursting inside her.

Kuon's heart galloped in pure joy at the thought that the woman he loved was carrying his child inside her. They were going to have a baby. A million happy thoughts raced through his mind in excitement. But then he stopped when thought of Kyoko and her feelings about their predicament. She did come here because of it.

"Don't you worry. I'll be with you every step of the way, remember? It will be okay, babe. I promise." He soothed her.

Kyoko stilled for a second before she let out a laugh. "I know that." She said as she pulled away and looked at him. "I was just... Confused, shock and in denial... But I'm okay now. I'm getting used to it." She gave him a lopsided smile.

"Don't forget you're not alone now, Kyoko." Kuon pleaded with her. "I'll always be here for you. You can come to me anytime and I'll always be there for you no matter what happens."

Kyoko was overwhelmed by emotions. She didn't think her life could be that different now.

"I'll take care of you. I'll make you happy as I am now with the news and the blessing that you've given me. I could never be so much happier to know you are carrying our child. I'll never regret this, Kyoko... And I'll make sure you'll never regret this either. I..." Kuon drowned his though feelings in their kiss as he crashed his lips to hers again.

_I love you, Kyoko._

* * *

><p><em>I hope you liked it. Everything's coming along and now it's CONFIRMED! ^_^ I know there's something missing in Kyoko's reaction but we'll get to that eventually. It doesn't happen or come to you all at once. It takes time. I'm sleepy already so let's chat later. Sorry.<em>

_I am happy and thankful for reading my story and your reviews, follows, favs and likes even though there's no like button here. Hehe... Thanks guys. Read yah later. Oh, and advance Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all, in case I won't be able to update within this years since I'll be busy. God bless you all! Love you guys... ^_^_


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip beat! Manga, anime, plots, characters and etc...

_Well... Happy New Years, you guys! I survived the last week of the year and the first year of the new year! My new years was pretty exhausting! It didn't fell like a vacation. My body ached all over when I got home. Then, I attended a friend's baby shower the first Sunday of the year. I helped with the party, prepared two games for it. Well, whatever... I don't think you're interested with that. So please excuse any grammatical errors and typos below... Enjoy! ^_^_

Recap:

Kyoko was overwhelmed by emotions. She didn't think her life could be that different now.

"I'll take care of you. I'll make you happy as I am now with the news and the blessing that you've given me. I could never be so much happier to know you are carrying our child. I'll never regret this, Kyoko... And I'll make sure you'll never regret this either. I..." Kuon drowned his though feelings in their kiss as he crashed his lips to hers again.

_I love you, Kyoko._

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 24:

_It starts in my toes_

_And I crinkle my nose_

_Wherever it goes_

_I always know_

_That you make me smile_

_Please stay for a while now_

_Just take your time_

_Wherever you go_

Kyoko woke up and felt nauseated. It still wasn't that bad so she closed her eyes back, stayed still and concentrated on trying not to throw up the dinner she managed to eat last night. She felt the space on the bed next to her. It was already cold which means Kuon had already been up quite a while. A few minutes later, she heard the bathroom door slid open. She slowly opened her eyes to look at her _husband_, she still could not believe that fact nor the frighteningly happy news that they were expecting.

At the threshold of the bathroom, there stood her wickedly handsome husband with only a towel wrapped around his waist as he wiped his newly shaven face. He stopped when he noticed her watching him and smiled at her as he made his way to greet her with the usual good-morning kiss. But when he was half-way to her, she breathed in and felt like she was punched in the gut with the strongest smell she had ever smelt before.

She jumped up and ran around him to go to the bathroom. Kuon was stunned for a moment but recovered himself when he heard her throwing up in the bathroom. He went to her and crouched beside her, lifted up her hair out of the way and rubbed her back in comfort. But then, he felt Kyoko's hand on his chest and she was pushing him away.

"I'm just trying to help you, honey." Kuon told her.

"...g...o... A...way..." Kyoko groaned.

"If you are embarrassed of me seeing you like this, you can't get rid of me that easily, babe." Kuon said. "I will not leave you. Every step of the way, remember?"

"No!" She threw up again. "You... Ma-ke, me..." She coughed. "Sick!"

"Kyo-" Kuon froze. "What?" He could not believe what he just heard.

_Am I really that disgusting? _Kuon asked himself in disbelief.

The sound of Kyoko throwing and coughing up again woke him up and he yelled for Namiko. The older woman ran up the stairs in fright of Kuon's loud and urgent voice. When Namiko came into the bathroom, she took over in comforting Kyoko.

Kuon dazedly walked to his closet and changed for the day in automatic like a robot. His mind was pretty messed up by that single sentence Kyoko said to him at the bathroom. It was echoing in his head over and over and over again, slowly eating at him.

Kyoko's stomach finally settled down a bit when she emptied all the contents of her stomach. She assured Namiko she was feeling alright now and the woman told her that she would prepare tea and soup for her in the kitchen. When Kyoko came out of the bathroom with her face washed and teeth brushed, she stopped on her way back to the bed when she noticed Kuon sitting on a chair across their bed. He was staring out into space while he was doing his tie into a really ugly and twisted knot. Kyoko frowned at the unusual sight.

Kyoko glanced at the ugly, twisted knot of his tie and her body moved on its own and went to him. She slapped his hands away from his tie and began to fix it. Kuon was startled awake and he stared up at her dumbly in confusion. Kyoko had told him to stay away from her because he was making her sick and now she was fixing his tie. But when he really looked at her closely, she was fixing his tie at arms length. It was as if he has something dirty that she was grossed out to touch.

"Am I really that disgusting?" Kuon suddenly blurted.

"What?" Kyoko looked him in the eye. "No! No..." She replied but she was staggering back covering her nose.

"Are you sure?" Kuon asked with a hurt and vulnerable expression on his face.

Kyoko closed her eyes and sighed. "I... I'm sorry... It's just that... You're making me nauseous."

"Am I really that bad?" Kuon's heart was trampled and crushed into little tiny pieces.

"NO! No, no, no!" Kyoko protested vehemently, still covering her nose as she sat at the foot of their bed. "What I mean is when you come near me you make me literally want to vomit."

"That... That's worse..." Kuon's face crumpled into worry and pain.

"NO! That's not what I meant to say... I mean, you smell really bad and it's- UGH!" Kyoko gave up and hung her head. Everything that came out of her mouth were all wrong and she was making everything worse.

"Uhm..." Kuon and Kyoko turned to see Namiko by the stairs holding a tray with tea and soup for Kyoko. "I think what your wife is telling you, Tsuruga-san, is that her sense of smell is really strong right now because of pregnancy hormones and your aftershave is probably too strong for her nose right now and it is what made her sick this morning too."

"Yes!" Kyoko exclaimed in total agreement.

"Oh." Kuon muttered feeling really dumb right that moment for taking what Kyoko said the wrong way. He cleared his throat and tried to move on. "Anyway, we'll have to go to the doctor and ask if he can help you with the vomiting and get you vitamins and other stuff. I'll ask the boss to get us an appointment as soon as possible."

"Kuon, it's normal for a pregnant woman to get morning sickness." Kyoko reasoned with him. "I was just there two days ago. I'm totally fine!" She paused and then covered her nose again. "...If you don't come any closer to me..." She added.

"Does that mean I can't kiss you goodbye right now?" Kuon asked with hopeful puppy eyes.

"Nope." She shook her head and cautiously looked at him as if he was going to jump him any second.

Kuon could not stop the curse that came out of his mouth and he immediately apologized to the two ladies in his presence.

"I just really want to hug you right now and kiss you goodbye..." Kuon looked at her longingly. His phone vibrated. "I have to go." He stood up and gave her a wave stiffly. "I hope you feel better... I'll call you later, okay?" He went down the stairs all the time he kept looking back at her until he couldn't anymore. And from then on he didn't use any shaving cream or after shave creams; he started using Kyoko's soap which didn't make her feel sick.

* * *

><p>A few days later, they were called back to the doctor because the blood test results were out. It was now officially a positive for pregnancy. Although, the urine test already did that. It was pretty accurate but a blood test result couldn't hurt them. The doctor gave her vitamins.<p>

"Is there anything she shouldn't be doing right now? Is it alright for her to work in her condition?" Kuon asked in his overprotective macho-ness.

"Kuon!" Kyoko exclaimed in protest. "I'm pregnant, you make it sound like I have a disease!"

Kuon was in full Kuon mode that day, complete with the blonde hair and blue eyes. They wouldn't want to chance a leak to the public of Tsuruga Ren having a pregnant wife scandal even if they were a trusted connection of LME. Some people just can't shut their mouths.

"Yes, it is alright for her to work. I would just advice her not to do something... e_xtremely strenuous._" The doctor replied. "But lovemaking is perfectly fine, Hisuri-zan. You don't have to worry about it. It won't harm the baby." He assured the two of them.

Kyoko blushed from head to toe while Kuon froze out. The doctor could not help but smile and chuckle at their interesting reactions. There were no more questions after that and they were done. The both of them went out of the clinic and they made their way to their car. They arrived in front of Kyoko's side of the door but before Kuon opened the door for her, he took both of her hands in his and smiled at her.

"Wanna go on a date?" Kuon asked her with a hopeful smile. They were free for the rest of the day after their appointment.

Kyoko blushed at the mention of a date with him. It was her first time being asked. Then, she realized they were already married, shared a bed every night and were having a baby together. Another thought occurred to her when she was thinking of how to say yes to him.

"How do we do that?" Kyoko asked in concern.

"H-how?" Kuon was a bit surprised but also realized that she didn't have any experience in dating and he felt guilty. "uhm, we go out to dinner, go watch a movie, watch a concert, go to the museum, go dancing, anything we both enjoy."

"And how do we do that without getting mobbed or end up in all tabloid newspapers and magazines?"

"Oh, that?" Kuon finally got what Kyoko was really asking him. "Well, they won't recognize me as Kuon."

"Yeah, but Kuon is more eye-catching than Tsuruga Ren. We'll still end up getting a lot of attention and will be all over the internet." She replied.

"Hmmm..." Kuon pursed his lips as he thought of a solution to their problem. "We could go to a really private restaurant or we could...go camp out in the mountains?"

Kyoko giggled heartily at his expression and tone which were both confused and teasing. "I think I know a place where we can go out to dinner without going to a private restaurant and paying a lot of money."

"Is that a yes?" Kuon grinned happily like a kid.

"Hai, hai, Ouji-sama."

Kuon's grin grew wider and brighter and then he opened the car door for her. "Here is your carriage, Ohime-sama."

Turns out the place Kyoko was talking about was Daruma-ya. The Okami happily prepared a table for them in their private dinning room and served them their. Kyoko protested first but the Okami told them it was her and the Taisho's wedding gift for the two of them. They enjoyed good food which thankfully didn't make Kyoko sick. She ordered noddles, rice, tofu, anything that was white she was craving it. Her very first craving. They had a nice conversation about no other than their work. They talked about Kyoko's movie debut. Kyoko was complaining about how arrogant and always compose Jinya was and how that really ticks her off, reminding her of a certain senpai. That led to a very interesting bickering.

The very stiff and scary looking Taisho could not stop the smile from showing on his face as he listened in on their bickering. He could hear them while he was working because the private dinning room was next to the kitchen of both the private living area and the restaurant. It relieved him of his worries about their really sudden marriage and about how the couple really felt for each other. Kyoko was precious to them and he was not going to think twice of striking any man who would dare hurt her. But it seemed his worries were for nothing. The newlyweds sounded like they had been married for ten years with their bickering. And how they talked after their bickering as if they had not a squat of disagreement.

They went home with satisfied and happy faces. It was a very nice first date for them. They went to bed after getting cleaned up and they slept with contented smiles on their lips. But in the early hours of the morning, they were woken up by the ringing of Kuon's phone. He groaned and reached blindly for his phone on his side of the night table without letting Kyoko go from their entangled position on the bed.

"What?" He mumbled sleepily.

"IS IT TRUE?!" Came the loud bellowing voice of their dad from the other end. Kyoko stirred and looked at where the startling voice came from.

"Dad, you're disturbing Kyoko's sleep. You're voice alone could wake up the dead." Kuon grumbled.

"I'm sorry, baby. But we're just really excited," Julie apologized. "So, is it true? Kyoko's really pregnant?"

Kuon looked at Kyoko for permission. The corner of her lip curved upward and she nodded. Her eyes closed again and she snuggled closer to Kuon.

"Yes, mom, dad. She's pregnant." Kuon confirmed. He heard shouts of joy and squeals of excitement from his parents.

"We have to go shopping, Kuu!" Julie shouted at her husband. "We'll buy a really beautiful crib, super cute baby clothes, stroller and car seat!"

Kuon sighed. He was too tired and sleepy to argue and scold them to not go overboard. There was no stopping them anyway. He would just be wasting his breath.

"If that is all, can we go back to sleep now?" Kuon asked but apparently, the two grandparents-to-be were so engrossed with their planning for their grandchild that they forgot Kuon was on the phone. "We love you too, guys." Kuon called out with a laugh and end the call.

"I think I'm scared to see them." Kyoko whispered so softly to him.

"I know... They're gonna fill this place with all the baby stuff they could get." Kuon replied.

Kyoko snorted as she remembered him acting Cain Heel. "Not if you do it first."

Kuon had to laugh. "It's our house. We can do whatever we want to it."

* * *

><p>Days passed by busily and mornings, sometimes noon or in the middle of the night, Kyoko battled with her morning sickness. It was pure torture for Kuon who could only comfort her by being at her side and not be able to do anything for her. But Kyoko who was not used to being taking care of did her best in taking care of her husband too despite of her pregnancy symptoms. She pushed her sleepy body early in the morning to make bentos for Kuon and Yashiro. Kuon grumbled at her pushing herself to make bentos for his manager also when the man could perfectly provide for his food just fine. And even though he was so grateful that she was making him bentos, he wanted her to take care of her own body more and their baby inside her. Kyoko gave in a little and compromised, so Namiko was helping her making the bentos.<p>

The read through of Kyoko's debut movie had began a week after she went missing. They finally met their costars. Momose was one of the casts, as Jin's mature, ladylike superior and ex-girlfriend. Kijima played Jin's playboy best friend. It was like Dark Moon all over again, especially with Director Ogata as their director again. Kyoko was also exctatic because Kanae and Chiori were casted as her closest school friends and Uesugi Hiou as her very close and very cute younger former next door neighbor. The rest will just be extras and guests of the show who will only show up for the filming for one or a few days.

"Now, the one who will be playing Mao-chan's parents are still a secret and I hope you will all keep it that way because they sincerely asked it to be that way. They even asked me not to put them in the credits but I had to, and they strictly wanted not to be mentioned when we promote the movie." The director explained. "So, to not cause any leaks, I won't tell you their names. Oh, and Mao-chan's grandparents will be played by old man Uesugi-san, Hiou's grandfather, and the famous Fujiwara-san. They couldn't make it because of their packed schedules."

The read through went well and everyone lingered for a while after they were done to congratulate Kyoko and catch up with her.

"Congratulations, Kyoko-chan!" Excitement overflowed in Momose's greeting. "It's finally your turn, huh? And with Tsuruga-san." She waggled her eyebrows.

Kyoko involuntary blushed pink.

"My role is so fitting! Katsuki has dumped me and now he's after you." Momose sighed dramatically. "Just be careful not to fall for his tricks."

Kyoko turned a shade darker. She had _unknowingly_ fallen for his tricks! That was why they were now married and having a baby. Kanae and Yashiro were trying to hold their snickering. Kyoko sent a glare her way.

"Aw..." Kijima whined. "I wouldn't have a chance with you now, Kyoko-chan."

Now, it was Ren's turn to give Kijima death glares as Yashiro and Kanae tried to hide their amusement of the scenes.

"Anyways, I'll try to persuade you with my superb acting in this movie, Kyoko-chan," Kijima continued with a playful wink, oblivious of the killing aura sent his way.

"Why did you choose Kyoko-san and Tsuruga-san as your leads, Director Ogata-san?" Hious asked curiously. "It's not that I disagree with your choice. I'm just curious why you chose Kyoko-san when she typically plays antagonist and pair her with Tsuruga-san when this is her debut as protagonist?"

Everyone looked at Hiou and that distracted Kuon from planning how to rip Kijima to pieces, instead he was irritated with the kid who was somewhat questioning Kyoko's worth and talent. Then, everyone looked at the director expectantly for his reply.

Director Ogata smiled knowingly at Hiou as if he had some secret about his reason for choosing Kyoko and Ren. "I was also asked that by the big people up top when I demanded that Kyoko-chan be the lead and wouldn't budge when they suggested other actresses." Kyoko's eyes widened at the revelation. "It's the normal and automatic reaction for people who wasn't with us during the filming of Dark Moon."

"Why? What happened in the set of Dark Moon?" Kanae asked, now, really curious herself.

Chiori could somewhat understand why Kyoko was chosen. She spent a lot of time with Kyoko in the set filming Box "R" and she saw first hand how good at acting Kyoko was. Momose and Kijima now had the same knowing smile as the director. Ren had a blank face. He was nervous if everyone around him with the exception of Kyoko knew about his feelings for her.

"Well, for one thing, they certainly have chemistry...in and out of screen." Director Ogata started to explain. "And second, I experienced their passion and intensity of making characters, especially Kyoko who was an amateur. Mio was her very first big drama role and she already did that good. They just filled me with this burning feeling of wanting to see how they would create and play out characters opposite each other as the leads."

"Chemistry out of screen?" Hiou asked.

The director's eyes widen for a second and then he said, "Ah! I need to get going. I'll see you all soon at the set." He excused himself and escaped from the room. Everyone who was curious about what happened to make the director see the chemistry out of screen stared at the two leads. Kyoko's cheeks were painted pink while Ren had a blank face. Ren cleared his throat and bid his farewell to all of them and told them that he had to go to his other jobs.

Kanae took pity and rescued Kyoko from the awkward moment. They all broke up, said their goodbyes and went about their scheduled jobs for the day. Their curiosity would just be satisfied another time.

* * *

><p><em>I hoped you liked it... I'm one step closer to that scene my mind kept playing over and over ever since I started this story. As I get closer, it's starting to really have a real form in my and details of how it will go. I look forward to finally writing it. But It's gonna hurt, though, because it's the scene that will lead to the Hiroshima event that I was talking about... ANYWAYS, I think next chapter we'll have a little filming of Kyoko's Debut. ^_^<em>

_Thank you so much guys for your support in reading, reviewing, follows and favs. And for liking my stories... God bless you all! Read yah next update... Last chapter of Baby Ren... :'( I'm gonna miss writing about that cute family with that cutie baby..._


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Skip Beat! Manga and Anime and its characters, plots, rights or whatever... Same goes for Ai Hime: Ai to Himegoto Manga...

_I am so sorry for the late update. I have a lot on my mind. I feel like I'm trying to do a lot of things at the same time right now so I'm having a hard time focusing on just one and finishing it quickly. I really am sorry... And for Lechat23 whom I promised a oneshot crossover of SB and LSL. I'm sorry it's taking so long. It's halfway there, I just need to finish it. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter everyone! ^_^_

Recap:

"Chemistry out of screen?" Hiou asked.

The director's eyes widen for a second and then he said, "Ah! I need to get going. I'll see you all soon at the set." He excused himself and escaped from the room. Everyone who was curious about what happened to make the director see the chemistry out of screen stared at the two leads. Kyoko's cheeks were painted pink while Ren had a blank face. Ren cleared his throat and bid his farewell to all of them and told them that he had to go to his other jobs.

Kanae took pity and rescued Kyoko from the awkward moment. They all broke up, said their goodbyes and went about their scheduled jobs for the day. Their curiosity would just be satisfied another time.

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 25:

_Don't wanna break your heart_

_Wanna give your heart a break_

_I know you're scared it's wrong_

_Like you might make a mistake_

_There's just one life to live _

_And there's no time to wait..._

Three days after the read through of Kyoko's debut movie, they began filming the scenes they could film inside the set. They had build a set that looked like the inside of the apartment from the manga. They also had to film fast because of the season. The timeline of the film was more than a year, so they had to film the winter scenes while it was still winter. But director Ogata didn't want to film straight deep into the story before giving the two leads time to build and develop their characters while filming the first few scenes of the story.

Over the three days before the filming, Sawara and Yashiro had collaborated in rearranging their charges' schedules. Now, it was after lunch and Kyoko and Ren already went through hair, make-up and changed into their costumes. They were going to shoot the apartment scenes in chronological order of the movie. The first scene was a short one, the scene where Mao just moved in and she was saying goodbye to Jin who was off to his work.

They were at their respective places near the front door and Kyoko was smiling at him. Ren noticed it was a Setsu-like smile. He couldn't help raising his eyebrow and his lips from curving up into a crooked smile. Kyoko's eyes sparkled and he knew Setsu was just under the surface.

"I get to call you nii-san again." She answered huskily to his unspoken questioning of his eyebrow.

_So that's what it was. _Ren thought, now fully smiling.

Then, the Setsu-like smile and sparkle in her eyes vanished showing the real Kyoko. "Although, I thought I was going to call you _Oji-san_ since you are my _Oji-san_."

"Hey! I'm not that old." Ren growled with a scowl. Kyoko's smile widened even more and tried to stop the giggle that came out.

Ren couldn't respond because the director called for them to get ready to start the practice scene. The director called 'action'. They started acting it out and it was going well...until, she accidentally called him Jin-oji-san, instead of Jin-onii-chan. Ren glared at her. His face was a mix of the demon lord and emperor of the night. Kyoko froze.

"I...am sorry." She said as her head leaned to one side.

Ren would have forgiven her right away but a smile bloomed in place of the pleading face. Kuon came out instantly.

"Oh, you'll pay for that." He narrowed his eyes, smiled that predatory emperor smile.

Kyoko's eyes widened and her instinct told her to run as he lunged for her. She fled to the living room and ran behind the couch so there was something between them that will keep him at bay.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! It's because of what we talked about before the scene!" Kyoko reasoned to Kuon while they were circling the couch as he tried to catch her. He went to one side, she went to the opposite to get away from him.

Kuon finally had enough and lunged straight at her jumping on the couch. He captured her with his two long lean arms behind the couch, pulled her in and she tumbled on the couch. He then pinned her under him and started tickling her. Kyoko burst out laughing filling the whole set.

"Stop! Please! No...more!" Kyoko pleaded between laughter as tears fell from her eyes because of laughing so hard.

"No more calling me Oji-san?" Kuon paused in tickling her but his hands were still on her.

"I promise!" She said as she tried to catch her breath.

"I'm glad you learned your lesson." Kuon smirked at her.

When the cloud of their fun dissipated they realized the camera was still rolling and was capturing them and everyone on set was stunned, mouths open as they stared in surprise at the two. Kyoko blushed and Ren for the first time felt terribly embarrassed at his lack of professionalism and self-control. He helped Kyoko sit properly on the couch and then he stood up and faced everyone.

"I am very sorry for my behavior. It won't happen again." He apologized with a bow.

Everyone woke up from their daze when Ren straightened up after his bow and apology. They couldn't believe what they saw when they looked at him. His cheek looked warmed and a bit pinkish. THE Tsuruga Ren was blushing in front of them. They momentarily forgot what they had witnessed before and were stunned again.

Director Ogata recovered from his shock of the sudden turn of events of the scene they were practicing but he smiled now.

_This was what I had a glimpsed of at Karuizawa._ He thought. _That was just the tip of the iceberg. And now, I will see it unfold in front of my eyes through this movie! _

He shouted 'cut!' for the entranced cameraman who was still filming them. He woke up and stopped filming. Director Ogata went to his two wonderful leads with a bright smile.

"It's okay, Tsuruga-san. That was only a practice and the very first scene we did. It's nothing to worry about." He reassured them. "And I am very glad you are well connected to your character. Jinya is like that when Mao-chan calls him cute."

Ren was glad for the excuse the director had freely given to explain his actions for the whole crew and staff present because he didn't have any acceptable explanation for them. Kyoko was still deeply embarrassed she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her. But she felt relieved that she hadn't made a bad first impression of her professionalism to this new co-workers in creating her movie debut.

Kyoko stood up too and apologized to everyone present for her inappropriate behavior with a lot of bows and apologies to them. The director assured Kyoko it was okay. The two leads sober up after that and put their game face to show their A-game performance. The rest of filming were easy breeze. They nailed each and every one with few NGs which were not of their causing.

It may have looked pretty easy in the eyes of everyone on set how Kyoko acted those scenes but Kuon knew how hard it was for her. The scenes required the love emotion. Hiding her feelings for her uncle and trying to suppress it and not let it grow. It brought back memories she wanted to remain forgotten. Kuon had already conquered his demons but she still had hers haunting her. But Kyoko was not having a hard time because of the reasons Kuon was thinking of.

True, she had to browse and relived in her mind the memories she had with Sho so she can use it as example. But in the end she found out it was very different from how she perceived Mao was feeling. She realized Mao felt like how she felt after Ren's kiss on the cheek on Valentine's day last year. But Mao wasn't kissed on the cheek just like her, but on the lips...for real. She envied Mao for having the courage to fight what she felt and tried to function normally when she could not function well after that unexpected kiss on the cheek...not even a real kiss.

But she still struggled to express how Mao slowly realized what she really felt about Jin. It was a little too similar of how she was starting to feel for a certain 190 cm tall, blonde hair, blue-eyed someone. She didn't even want to think about it. But unfortunately for her, it was her job to think about it and figure it all out so she can use the knowledge and emotion to properly do her job. And that was just the problem. That was what giving her a hard time.

The next day, they filmed how Mao got sick and Jin taking care of her. Kyoko was not so fortunate when they filmed their first of many kissing scenes. It wasn't the first kissing scene in the movie but it will be the first kissing scene they were going to film. It was the scene of Jin carrying her to bed with only one arm around her waist and punished her for not resting already by feeding her medicine through a kiss. That scene went well for them because Mao's reactions were like Kyoko's. Her luck continued when they filmed the scene where Jin changed her wet pajama top with his shirt and they only showed Jin opening one button of her pajama top and then opening the buttons of his shirt and shrugging it of his shoulder.

Unfortunately, Kyoko's luck ran out when they had to film the second kissing scene and she was not looking forward to the scene because she had to slap Jin, who was played by Ren, her husband, for changing her top and seeing her hald-naked body. Just when she thought it couldn't get worse, she had to think of the siphoning anteater so she could act the scene properly with the right balance of anger and embarrassment into the slap. What was beyond worse from what she thought was already worse was that she had to slap Ren twice.

And it was all her fault! Because she had slapped him with more intensity and anger than embarrassment in her expression in the first take. Luckily, Ren was a seasoned actor and he knew how to act slapping scenes. The sound effect of the slap in the finished movie was just amplified and from experience, he timed his turning of his face to when she would slap him and the impact of it wasn't like the real slap. But Kyoko was still filled with guilt over it. They finished the scene a second take and Kyoko profusely apologized to Ren who obviously was assuring her he was fine and that it didn't hurt him because he was turning his head the same time she slapped him.

They filmed all morning and in the afternoon, Ren and Kyoko went their separate ways to their other jobs. And when Ren got home at eight o'clock in the evening, he was confused why the house was still dark. He slid the door to the entrance hall and took off his shoes and opened the door to the living room. He turned the lights on and was greeted a loud chorus of "Happy birthday, Kuon!"

Lory, Maria, Sebastian, Taisho and Okami, Kanae, Yashiro, Namiko and Ryuu were there lined up greeting him happily and popping confetti. And in the middle of them was his beautiful wife with a smile that could lift him up to heaven. His face broke into a mirror of her smile. He floated to her because he didn't remember commanding his feet to walk. He was suddenly in front of her, gathered her into his arms and without thought, pressed his lips to hers. It was sweet, gentle and at the same time earth-shattering.

"Thank you..." He whispered to her after he pulled away and he had the pleasure to see her blush and her eyes in a daze. Then, he remembered they had an audience. He turned to them and thanked them too.

"I'm so sorry about this morning." She apologized to him again for the hundredth time.

"Just forget about it, babe. All in a days work, okay? It's what we do." Kuon assured her again.

They all went to their beautiful dining room where the food was served. Taisho and Okami brought two trays of sushi and rolls. (yum! I'm drolling just thinking about it.) Kyoko made very healthy Onigiris, her husband's favorite and cooked a whole array of Kyoto style dishes. Their kitchen and dining room had an open floor plan and from where he was standing, he could see a whole mountain of food on all their kitchen counters. Kuon's mouth dropped open.

"Who's gonna eat all that?" He asked in disbelief as he felt his stomach turned a bit.

"ME!" His father happily bellowed from what he could tell was the bedroom on the first floor.

"Dad?" He turned to the direction of where his voice was coming from.

His father appeared from the bedroom followed by his mom. They were both grinning at him. Julie ran to him and threw her arms to hug him tight.

"I missed you!" She kissed him on the cheek.

"Do you really think we'll miss our son's birthday now that he's come back to us?" His dad said and then took a bite on one of Kyoko's healthy onigiri from a plate of them in his hand.

Kuon could only smile in joy and happiness as they brought out the cake with candles for him to wish on and blow. It was the greatest birthday he had in his entire life and he was sure it will continue to grow from now on. The only problem he had was to make his wife fall in love with him. No big deal...not. It was a very big deal but he'd take what he could. But he knew he already got more than he deserved: the woman he loved as his wife, his loving and supportive parents and extended family and now, the gift of fatherhood from his growing baby in the womb of his beautiful wife.

As long as Kyoko was happy with him, he would endure until that most wonderful day come because he would not stop trying to show her his love and to try to make her love him. But for now, the gifts he had received were three books called Being a Great Dad for Dummies, Dad's Guide to Pregnancy for Dummies and The New Dad's Survival Guide: Man-to-Man Advice for First-time Fathers. Kuon glared at the smiling Yashiro and Lory who had given him the books for Dummies. But he was still grateful for their thoughtfulness and he told them so.

His mom and dad stayed at the extra guest room above their garage after the party ended. They argued that they should stay in the room on the first floor but the older Hizuris insisted that the newlyweds should have the house to themselves.

The next day, Kyoko received a wonderful news from the president. Kyoko had won "Rookie of the Year" from Elan D'or awards. He also informed them that there will be a small ceremony on the night of the thirteenth to receive her award with all the others that won.

Julie was so excited thinking about which of the dresses she gave Kyoko she should wear to the ceremony while Kuu congratulated her and sang praises about how talented any son or daughter of his like an oya-baka that he was. Kuon smiled proudly at his wife and told her how amazing she was. Naturally she argued she was not all that.

"Kyoko, you're only a little over a year in this business without any experience with acting before and you already won an award. Some people waited more than two years, even four years to achieve what you have achieved now. So don't tell me otherwise. We are the experts here, remember?" Kuon said as Kuu and Julie nodded in agreement. Kyoko had no room to argue with that. It was three versus one.

Kyoko and Julie had a mother and daughter bonding after her jobs that same day. They disguised themselves and went shopping. Kyoko was so relieved Julie had already picked a dress which was not overtly glamorous for the small giving of awards ceremony and they were now shopping for Julie's coming-grandbaby. They went to shop for newborn clothes and colorful swaddle blankets. They had to pick neutral colors because it was still too early to know the gender yet.

Although, Julie was the only one shopping. Kyoko just browsed the clothes and all those million things babies need. Inside the baby store, she saw cribs, changing tables, teeny, tiny clothes for the little teeny, tiny newborn babies. She saw bathing tubs, walkers, strollers, diaper bags, high chairs, breast pump... Everything!

There were all kinds of things babies need and in all kinds of different brands, designs and colors. It was dizzying. What was more was that wherever she turn to she could see mothers and sometimes father. She saw women with children propped on their hips, holding on to them like a koala and some in their stroller sleeping so peacefully or some crying so loudly. Others, she saw with toddlers wanting all kinds of toys.

And there was one she especially noticed. A mother pushing a stroller as she browsed along the diaper section. But then a loud cry came from the stroller as the little baby who looked like three months old bunched his little face and howled the place down. Kyoko felt frozen and alarmed. Every cell in her body screamed for her to do something but she didn't know what she was supposed to do. Then, the mother only smiled and made shushing noises as she picked her baby up and rocked him in comfort. She held him close to her, rocked and continued the soothing shushing sound. She also talked to him, asked him if he was hungry or in need of a diaper change. But all the while she had a contented smile on her face. It was all so foreign for Kyoko. And it was also like a cold bucket of water poured onto her.

She finally realized that in a few months, she was going to be like that mother. She was going to have a little, tiny baby in her arms. She was going to be responsible of that baby's life 24/7 for the rest of her life. That baby, her baby was going to be her life from now on.

She also realized that that image of a little boy who looked like his fairy prince father she fell in love with was not going to come right away. Her baby wasn't going to grow up overnight into a little look-a-like of his father after she gave birth to him.

She was going to take care of her little baby when it came out of her just like the woman she saw. And what terrified her was if she could do it. Could she take care of someone so tiny and fragile and precious? Could she love it like the woman she just saw or like how Julie loved Kuon on that video of Kuon's life they had watched? Or would she be like her own mother? Would she know what her baby needs when it cried?

There were a lot of questions going through her mind and she felt like she was going to faint. But when she looked down and saw the floor coming towards her face she realized that she wasn't just feeling like it, she was indeed fainting. Then, there was pure blackness.

* * *

><p><em>I'd had preferred to continue and finish the whole insecurities and doubts of Kyoko and in my head there was no Kyoko fainting scenario in there. But it was getting so long and I had to end it here and my mind decided that that should end the chapter for now. Sorry. I do hope you enjoyed it. And I have to say that the Hiroshima I was talking about is coming either next chapter or after the next chapter... It usually depends on how my mind works when I actually write the chapters... So just beware guys... I don't wanna surprise you and have all of you end up hating me... :( Just saying... <em>

_Thank you so much guys for the support, for reading, reviewing, following, fav-ing and just liking/loving my stories. I really appreciate it guys... Take care and God bless... Read yah next chap! ^_^_


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat! Manga/Anime and its characters, plots and everything... Same goes for Elan Dor's awards...

_Please don't hate me after reading this! Please, please, please... (Dogeza a million times) Here is just the start of the Hiroshima I was talking about... So please BEWARE... Oh, and I have no idea how this award ceremonies go. So I just let my imagination do all the work... :) Please excuse any typos and grammatical errors... Enjoy! ^_^ I hope..._

Recap:

She was going to take care of her little baby when it came out of her just like the woman she saw. And what terrified her was if she could do it. Could she take care of someone so tiny and fragile and precious? Could she love it like the woman she just saw or like how Julie loved Kuon on that video of Kuon's life they had watched? Or would she be like her own mother? Would she know what her baby needs when it cried?

There were a lot of questions going through her mind and she felt like she was going to faint. But when she looked down and saw the floor coming towards her face she realized that she wasn't just feeling like it, she was indeed fainting. Then, there was pure blackness.

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 26:

_When darkness turns to light_

_It ends tonight_

_Just a little insight won't make this right_

_It's too late to fight _

_It ends tonight_

_It ends to night..._

_**~14**__**th**__** of February, 12:00AM... At the hospital~**_

"This is a dream, right?" Kuon breathed out in a strangled whisper. "Or maybe it's a nightmare and I have to wake up soon to go to work! It has to be!"

Julie went to hold his son in comfort because she knew he was feeling the pain she was also feeling right now, but for him it was ten times more. Kuon shook off his mothers arms.

"Tell me this is not true, Doctor!" Kuon was now shouting in English. "Tell me this nonsense you just said to me is not true!"

"Kuon..." Kuu, who had tears falling from his eyes, put an arm across his chest to stop Kuon from hurting the poor doctor who was just there doing his job. "It's not the doctor's fault."

"It's his fault for not doing his job, for not doing anything!" Kuon continued shouting in anger at the doctor.

"I am very sorry, Mr. Hizuri." The doctor bowed his head in fear and sympathy for them. "We did everything we cou-"

"The hell you did!"

"But sometimes we just can't go against nature or the gods no matter how we try to fight or hold on. There was nothing we could do."

Kuon took hold of the collar of the doctor's white coat. "Nothing you could do? YOU'RE A F***ING DOCTOR!"

"Kuon!" Lory, Sebastian and Kuu stopped him.

When they managed to get Kuon to let go of the doctor, Lory took the doctor away with murmurs of deep apologies and asking for understanding of Kuon's violent reaction to the bad news.

Kuon continued to shout and he even tried to fight Sebastian and his father to get free and try to follow the doctor. Good thing they were in a private waiting room because if they weren't he would have woken everyone in the building up. Inside the room, Yashirom who was looking pale, was busy comforting Kanae who was trying hard not to cry while Taisho was comforting his wife who was crying in his arms. Kuon wasn't satisfied at taking his anger out on the doctor. He was breathing hard and fought more to get free. He was just seeing red.

"I'm going to f***ing kill that f***ing good for nothing bastard FUWA! I should have f***ing killed him a long time ago!" He struggled to get free from the two men's hold again. "F***, dad! Just let me go and kill him right now! There will be no f***ing stone, no f***ing cave or f***ing woman's skirt he can hide in to get away from me!"

SLAP!

A very sound slap to Kuon's cheek stopped his tirade of killing the one who caused all this nightmare. It was his mother who slapped him. But it didn't even sting. He could not feel physical pain because the pain he felt inside was much greater. His expression was pure shock of the slap but then it slowly turned into the most painful look Kuu and Julie had ever seen on his face in their son's entire life.

One moment he was happy and had everything he had ever wanted in life and the next second, he watched everything crumble down because of one nitwit! One f***ing stupid, idiot, imbecile, immature, thoughtless, heartless, self-centered jerk!

Kuon felt like his heart and all of his guts were ripped out of him and both of his lungs were beginning to collapse because he was having trouble breathing. Then a picture of Kyoko's face floated in his mind's eye as his saving grace, his salvation from all the misery he was in. He saw Lory came back into the room.

"Where is she? I want to see her! I want to see my wife! I want to see Kyoko!" Kuon demanded to Lory.

Lory stared at him somberly and then he replied, "You can't."

"Why the f***ing hell not?" Kuon snarled at him. "I have all the f***ing right in the world to see my wife!"

"Do you really think that's a good idea the way you are right now?" Lory retorted with conviction in every word like a sword straight to his heart.

Kuon had no response to that. He could only glare daggers at his boss and do nothing because he, himself, knew Kyoko wouldn't like how he was acting right now. Even he didn't like how he was acting right now.

But what else could he do? What else could he possibly do?

_**~11**__**th**__** of February~**_

Kuon nearly had a heart attack when he heard from her mother that Kyoko fell on the floor in the middle of a store when they went shopping. But immediately, Kyoko came to and was able to stand before Julie could call an ambulance. Good thing Ryuu was there right away to help and drive them to the clinic fast. On the way there, Kyoko had been assuring Julie she was fine and dizzy spells were common with pregnant women as her doctor had said but Julie wouldn't listen.

Julie was very persuasive with the people at the clinic and Kyoko was checked by her doctor immediately and she assured them she was fine. When Kyoko fell to the ground when she fainted she was able to get a hold of something solid before she dropped straight to the ground and that softened how she hit the floor. She even protected her head instinctively during her fall.

As for the baby, it was safe. It was pretty protected inside its mommy's tummy. She fainted because her body was still getting used to the baby and couldn't produce enough blood to fill a rapidly expanding circulatory system like in most pregnant women. But Kyoko knew that it was also the anxiety, the fear that made her faint. She knew it.

Kuu and Lory arrived at the clinic too worried about how Kyoko was doing. On their way home in the stretched limo of the president, she sat and put a protective hand on her tummy.

_Even before you are born, I'm already not a good mother to you. I nearly harmed you today._ Kyoko thought depressingly and she sighed as her insecurities grew more.

She was woken from her thoughts when her new phone rang. It was Kuon. She answered.

"Kyoko, babe? Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Kuon asked frantically. "Don't worry, okay? I'm in my car. I'll be home in a few minutes."

"What?! Ku-, wait! How- What about your job? You can't just leave it."

"Don't worry about it, honey. It's just a job. I'm more worried about you. I'll see you soon, okay?" And he hang up.

_What in the world happened to the ever professional Tsuruga Ren? _Kyoko thought in bewilderment.

Almost thirty minutes later, they were all at their house. Kuon fussing over her. He wouldn't even let her sit by herself. He made her sit on his lap while he cradled her in his arms. It was ridiculous and extremely embarrassing because their parents were there along with Lory, Sebastian, Namiko and Ryuu. Yashiro was still busy covering his charge's butt at work but Kuon still wouldn't let go of her for the rest of the day to go back to work. He even contemplated not going to work the next day but Kyoko was pissed at the thought. He realized it was stressing her and that would not be good for her and the baby, so he dragged his butt off to work and worried himself all day instead. It was better he worry than Kyoko stressing herself over him.

_**~13**__**th**__** of February... Keio Plaza Hotel~**_

The day of the award ceremony had come at last and they had it all planned already. Kuon wanted to accompany her to the event but they all knew it was a bad idea. It was like feeding your own leg to the sharks. It would be on the headlines, the topic of every morning show, on every social media site the next morning. But Kuon did not want her to go alone without someone to at least look after her. Kuu and Julie couldn't either because it would be worse than Ren accompanying Kyoko to it. Kanae and Chiori had jobs they couldn't get out of. Sawara was up to his knees in his work and the guy deserved a break. That left Yashiro, Sebastian and Lory. Kyoko picked Yashiro because he was the only normal looking guy she could go with and not stand out of the crowd. The president would just be wearing a ridiculous costume and Sebastian...his presence alone wasn't normal. He was like a ninja or something.

The award ceremony was held at Keio Plaza Hotel. Kuon agreed to let Yashiro accompany her to the award ceremony but he was still worried and wished he could accompany her himself. So, he suggested he book a room in the hotel and go in as Kuon. They could stay there for the night after the ceremony so Kyoko won't be tired from all the traveling and that she can rest right away without the hassle. Of course, Kyoko protested to all of it. But he was terribly insistent that they didn't have to stay there, he just wanted to be there, just a few floors away from her, in case something might happen like her fainting the other day.

Kyoko had assured him a million times that she was fine, she could take care of herself and that nothing bad was going to happen to her. The ceremony was inside the safety of the hotel. Nothing was going to happen in there. It was just going to take a couple of hours and she was going to be on her way home. But Kuon wasn't taking any chances and everyone was agreeing with him. Julie assured her it wasn't so bad, it was just one night and it would all be over and everybody wouldn't be worried sick about her anymore. She could do nothing else but to give in.

Now, she was standing in the bathroom of the hotel suite Kuon booked for them. She was taking a quick shower before Jelly woods whipped her into someone beautiful. After she patted herself dry, she noticed something on the white towel. It was a spot of red and it certainly looked like blood. She checked every inch of herself with the help of the full length mirror in the bathroom to see her back. But she was not cut anywhere. And a horrible thought came to her. She shook her head to erase it. It wasn't possible. She proceeded to change into her dress and went to the living room where Jelly was waiting for her.

Thirty minutes before the award ceremony is scheduled to start, Yashiro knocked on their door to fetch Kyoko for the ceremony. Kuon looked like he might not let go of her after he kissed her goodbye or he might accompany her to the event himself. But Kyoko smiled in assurance at him and he had to let her go. It was her big night after all. If she continued like this and rise as high as he was at, he might not have to worry about keeping their marriage a secret. Nobody would object to their relationship and nothing would shake or damage her career anymore. He asked her to promise him to call him the second the event ended. He also told Yashiro to give him updates on what was happening and to take care of his wife, or else... Yashiro didn't even dare to know as he swallowed in fear.

Kyoko wore a midnight blue satin dress. It was a modern version of a 50s dress with clean lines, V neckline, no sleeve and a princess cut dress which ended on her knees. It outlined her body perfectly and a small, sparkly, silver belt further emphasized her curves. She wore princess Rosa around her neck to boost her courage and confidence. She wore her hair down which Jelly curled the ends beautifully. She had a silver, two-inch high heels because it wasn't safe for her to wear very high heels. If possible, she wasn't suppose to wear any high heels at all. And she had a see-through midnight blue wrap to go along with it if she was to get cold or something.

The event was pretty easy. They had a small dinner with the actors, the directors and producers who were winners and awardee as well and the people who made the awards possible. It was pretty quiet. Kyoko was nervous. She felt like she didn't deserve this award. She was still a newbie. She still hadn't debut yet but they had recognized her work as Natsu in Box 'R'. The people she sat in the table with were actors too and they congratulated each other. She felt insignificant because all of them had a lot of experience in the industry already. Either they had a relative who worked in the industry or they had been in the showbiz for more than she had been and had backgrounds of drama club and acting school to back them up.

"The costume department let you take part of the costumes?" One woman, also a winner, asked her as politely as she could. Kyoko had recognized her from a drama she caught glimpses of on TV in her spare time or in Daruma-ya's TV, an entertainment for the costumers.

"Eh?" Kyoko turned her head to her. She did not understand at first and then the woman looked down to her chest and she followed. "Oh, princess Rosa?"

"It has a name?" One of the winning actress in her table asked. This one looked a little bit younger than the first woman.

"Ah, yes." Kyoko's cheeks were beginning to pinkened. "Because it came out from a rose named 'Queen Rosa' a friend of mine gave me for my birthday." She answered shyly.

"It's yours?" The woman who asked her first asked again in surprise. Kyoko nodded.

"How did he hide suck a necklace in a small rose?" the second woman wondered.

"Oh, it was just the jewel inside. I made it into a necklace."

"You made it or you went to a jeweler and have them make it into one?" The first one asked again. Kyoko was confused why the girl talked like she didn't like her.

"I made it myself. I couldn't afford to take it to the jeweler at the time. It has worked for me so far, so I didn't have to do something like that."

Everyone has quiet down and any of the girls didn't have time to speak again because the presentation of awards began. They presented the awards to all five "Rookie of the Year" winners one by one and they had a short speech after they took it. Kyoko was so nervous. She had somewhat prepared a short thing to say but mostly it was just to thank everyone who helped her achieved it.

She nervously went to the stage and received her award. She forced herself to smile and face the crowd. She swallowed first before she began to speak.

"I... I feel so honored and thankful to receive this award. I can only thank all those people I have met in this industry who have helped me get this far." She made a thoughtful pause as her mind went blank and she could not remember her prepared short speech. "To tell you the truth, I had no interest in this industry at all. I'm ashamed to say my original reason for entering the entertainment business wasn't pure. But it wasn't for money either. I was driven by dark emotions and I didn't know I was lost. But everyone I have met and worked with made has helped me discover the delights of acting and slowly made me into this new me. I am very..." her eyes pooled and glazed. "very grateful to everyone who helped me find my true myself and a place to belong to. I promise to give the best I have to every work that I will do even more."

She gave them a stunning smile and got off the stage. They had a pictorial afterwards with all the five winners and they gave them bouquets of flowers too. When it ended there were further interviews. But Kyoko was feeling restless and she didn't feel at ease or comfortable even before she received her award. She was nervous but it wasn't that. It was a different feeling in her lower abdomen.

Yashiro took a video of Kyoko receiving her award and her speech and sent it to Kuon already and now after the ceremony ended and everyone was dispersing for their interview or saying goodbye to others, he noticed her looking a bit pale. He told her she could just have one brief interview and he was going to see her to her suite where Kuon was waiting.

After the interview, she politely asked Yashiro if he could hold her things for her while she went to the bathroom. He said he was going to wait outside the door of the event hall they used for the event. She went to the toilet and she paled even more when she found blood again. And she could now be sure where it had come from. There were a few spots of blood in her underwear. Panic instantly rose up from within and a million thoughts of what-ifs and worse-case-scenarios ran through her head. When she was able to breath again, her first coherent thought was to call her doctor. But she didn't have her phone with her. She cleaned herself up and went out. She felt like throwing up as she watched her pale ghostly face in the restroom mirror.

She washed her shaking hands. Splashed some water on her mouth and cheeks. She pinched herself a bit so some color would return to her cheeks and she wouldn't look like she had just seen a ghost and might topple over any minute. She dried her hands and face with a paper towel and went out of the restroom to find Yashiro. There were only few people left in the event hall when she came out. She saw Yashiro outside the door of the event hall with a phone pressed to his ear and talking to someone on the other end. She guessed he was most likely talking to her worrywart husband who was panicking by now by the looks of him when she left him. The thought made her smile a bit and felt pity for Yashiro.

She wouldn't have had believed that the great Tsuruga Ren would be so panicky and a worrywart before all this. He was the man who told her that a true professional actor would not skip work even a family member had died. And even now she still couldn't believe he just left his job to drive home to her to see if she really was okay or if she needed anything. It was so out of this world for her.

She was out of the door and was about to call to Yashiro and put him and Kuon out of their misery when a hand clamped on her mouth and took her away. She tried to tear the hand off her mouth and nose as fear and panic rose up again from her belly. Her heart thudded lowly against her ribcage. She tried to make noise for Yashiro to turn while she continued to get the hand away from her mouth and nose. It clamped harder and she couldn't breathe anymore. She heard a door opened and she was dragged in the emergency exit stairwell. She tried with all her strength to get her mouth to open and bit down hard on the fingers that was suffocating her.

Her attacker yelped in pain and surprise, and from the voice and strength she recognized it was male. Adrenaline kicked in and she remembered as Setsu how one evening her brother had taught her self-defense for fear that Murasame might attack or make a move on her. So she followed the process. She elbowed his stomach, step on his toes.

"S**t! Ky-oko... It's me..." The guy called out to her to stop before she could elbow his nose and punch his precious family jewels.

His familiar voice made her stop and turn around to see Sho staggering backwards to lean on the wall and clutch his stomach and toes.

"Shotarou?!" She exclaimed in disbelief and exasperation. "Are you crazy?! Are you out of you mind?! One time of kidnapping me is enough, Sho!" She pointed an index finger at him like it was a sword in her hand. "I am tired of this. You just scared the devil out of me! Or are you the one with the devil inside because you don't clearly know that what you are doing is wrong?! It's harassment and I can sue you for it!"

Sho was slowly straightening up with a smug smile. "Relax, Kyoko! Chill! I just wanted to talk to you!" He started to walk towards her.

"Don't you dare come near me!" She moved back and pointed her finger at him again like a weapon. They circled around with Kyoko glaring at him and before she knew it he was where she stood before and was now blocking the door. She felt so stupid and glared at him even more. If only she could hurt him with her glares.

"What do you want, Shotarou?" She spat at him.

"Mom called me earlier tonight for the first time since we ran away." Sho confessed.

"Good for you." She retorted sarcastically. "Now, will you please go and leave me alone?"

Sho's expression changed he stared seriously at her. "She told me she found the cellphone you left behind when you slept over there. She couldn't contact you at home, so she called me to inform you."

"Well, thank you very much. I will call her later." She said dismissively.

"She also asked me something else."

"Just spit it out and get this over with, Shotarou!" She shouted at him.

"She asked me if I knew you were married."

* * *

><p><em>I'm so sorry for the cliffy... But I had to end it like this because I wouldn't be able to stop it anymore. Best you get the whole picture next chapter than me continuing it and stop midway. That would be much more crueler than ending it here. And before you truly hate me, please continue to read what really happened in the next chapter when I post it. In this chap it kind of sounds really bad, right? I'm really sorry. I promise to explain everything next chapter. And just to let you know, I'm a sucker for happy endings. Heroes always win. :) Anyway, what a way to start their Valentine's day, huh? It's suppose to be a day of love... Now this... huhu<em>

_I hope you at least enjoyed this chapter or felt excited about what's going to happen next. Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, following, fav-ing an just liking/loving my stories. Love you guys... Read yah next chapter. Hopefully, I can write it as fast as this chapter. God bless... ^_^_


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat! Manga/Anime and its plots, characters and etc... Same goes with Keio Plaza Hotel and Elan D'or Awards...

_I am so very sorry for the late update! I was busy and kinda had a hard time writing this chapter. I greatly hope you will not hate me after this. I also hope you will enjoy this chapter. Please excuse my poor grammar, limited vocab and typos... I am so sleepy right now but I hope I don't have too much errors... Please enjoy! ^_^_

Recap:

"What do you want, Shotarou?" She spat at him.

"Mom called me earlier tonight for the first time since we ran away." Sho confessed.

"Good for you." She retorted sarcastically. "Now, will you please go and leave me alone?"

Sho's expression changed he stared seriously at her. "She told me she found the cellphone you left behind when you slept over there. She couldn't contact you at home, so she called me to inform you."

"Well, thank you very much. I will call her later." She said dismissively.

"She also asked me something else."

"Just spit it out and get this over with, Shotarou!" She shouted at him.

"She asked me if I knew you were married."

The Great Escape

Chapter 27:

_You hear my voice, you hear that sound_

_Like thunder gonna shake the ground_

_You held me down, but I got up, HEY!_

_Get ready 'cause I've had enough_

_I see it all, I see it now_

_I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire_

_'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar..._

Kyoko's eyes widened and her mouth opened into an O shape.

"Is it true, Kyoko?" Sho suddenly looked darkly serious and was now looming above her.

Kyoko tried to respond but her throat wasn't working properly and her brain couldn't come up with a reply.

"Is this true, Kyoko?!" He demanded more forcefully. "Is it that no-good, platform-wearing, pretty boy, pinhead actor?!"

"Tsuruga-san is NOT a no-good, platform-wearing, pretty boy, pinhead actor!" She automatically defended her husband vehemently without thinking about it. It just came out of her mouth.

"So, it IS him? Did you marry HIM?" Sho asked with both biting jealousy and incredulity. "Are you really that dumb, Kyoko? Are you that foolish and naive? Do you really think you and him will live happily ever after like the fairytale stories you love to read? He just wants to USE you! You are plain, boring and has no-sex appeal! Nobody recognizes you as an actress! He only wants you now because you are convenient and you clean and cook for him. But when he gets tired of you, he'll just dump you like a used tissue and move on to the next skinny, big breasted model he'll see! You're so stupid!"

Kyoko has had enough of listening to all the non-sense Sho was spouting. Now, she could finally recognize the lies he was telling her and how selfish and ugly he really was.

"Like how you USED me, Shotarou?!" Kyoko shouted back at him because that was the only way to shut him up. "Like how you only wanted me to come to Tokyo with you because I was convenient and can clean and cook for you event though I'M PLAIN?! And BORING?! And has NO SEX APPEAL?!"

"Tell me, Sho! Who was it that worked three jobs so you could comfortably lived in a super expensive apartment? If I wasn't there to help you, would you have survived Tokyo long enough for some recording company to notice a ran away teenager who can do NOTHING except for his music?! I didn't question everything you did! I supported you, I gave all my energy and time to you! And that's all you can say to me? I'm STUPID? I'm DUMB? I'm FOOLISH?" She scoffed in disbelief at him.

"You know what? I don't really care what you say to me, Shotarou. I'm DONE with you! But I WON'T let you say anything about Ren! I'm only going to say this once, Shotarou, so you better listen and get it through your thick head. REN. IS. NOT. LIKE. YOU! He DOESN'T use anybody just to gain something for himself LIKE YOU! He is NOT vain and shallow as to go after dumb big-breasted, skinny models LIKE YOU! He RESPECTS me and everyone who deserves it. He has REAL talent and dedication to his work and only those who are blind and conceited enough can't see it! So don't you EVER...insult MY husband again!"

Kyoko finished her most impressive speech and moved past him to get to the door and get the hell out of there. She has had enough. She was tired and she could feel that the uneasiness she was feeling in her lower abdomen was getting worse. It was bordering on cramps and not just uneasiness. She needed to call her doctor. She needed to go to Kuon and feel his secure arms around her. She needed to go home and relax and forget Sho ever happened. But when she was about to pass him, she heard him let out a loud angry growl and both his hands locked on her upper arms and he literally shook her.

"YOU ARE MINE, KYOKO!" Sho shouted at her with his face six inches away in front of hers. "You will always be mine! You can only think of me! You can only have revenge on me! And you can only love me!"

"Let go of me! Just leave me alone already! I have a life now WITHOUT YOU! For once in my life, Shotarou, I am finally happy. I have friends who don't bully me because you are close to me. I have people who like and appreciate me for who I am and not because of what I can do for them. I have in-laws who loves me like I am their own daughter. I now have the things I could only dream of before. I don't need to get revenge on you, Shotarou. You paid it all when you brought me here to Tokyo and hurt me. Because of that, I met Ren, my best friend Moko-san and president who gave me a chance in acting! You won, Shotarou! You won!"

"I will NOT let you go, Kyoko!" Sho's hands clenched tighter on her arms.

"You're hurting me! Let go!" Kyoko pushed him on his chest, wriggled her body and struggled to get free. Sho's face leaned closer and Kyoko instinctively knew he was going to kiss her, so she pushed his face away with both hands.

"You're mine! ONLY mine!" One of his hands made its way to the base of her head and took hold of her hair and made her look at him. She pushed him away harder.

"Don't make me hurt you, Shota-"

"_Kyoko? Kyoko! Where are you?!_" They heard a familiar voice bellowed from the hallway outside the event hall but was a little muffled by the walls.

They both stilled in surprise and their heads jerked towards the door of the emergency stairwell. Kyoko noticed that Sho got distracted from Kuon's voice and she took that chance to get free. She kneed him right on the crotch with every bit of strength she has left. Sho immediately let go of her. He clutched his crotch, buckled forward in pain and then, accidentally knocked Kyoko off balance with his head when he hunched over in pain. It happened so fast, Kyoko didn't have time to grab hold of him or on something before she was falling backwards. She let out a shriek as she turned her head and saw the solid concrete flight of stairs below her.

_My BABY! _Every fiber of Kyoko's maternal instinct screamed at her to protect the little life growing inside of her. Then, she came tumbling down that flight of stairs over... And over... And over... And over again.

_This is the end_

_Hold your breath and count to ten_

_Feel the earth move and then_

_Hear my heart burst again_

Kuon had been pacing in the living room creating a visible path in their suite after Kyoko left with Yashiro. After a long while he paused and went to the little bar to pour himself a glass of scotch to calm his nerves. Half a glass later, he still wasn't calm and so he paced the whole suite again. A million thoughts went through his head and it wasn't helping him. He jumped and his heart almost stopped when he heard his phone beeped. He checked it out and saw that he received a video from Yashiro.

He hungrily watched it like a starving man who hasn't eaten for a week. His face broke into a lovesick idiot smile when he heard her say that she was a new person which could only mean that Fuwa was slowly going to be history and will eventually lose its place in Kyoko's heart and mind. He was also happy that he could be a part of those people who helped her change into a better person. Not that she was not a better person to begin with. To Kuon, she had always been the loving, kind, nice, beautiful, adorable, sweet and very pure person he knew back at the forest and she would always be that.

After he watched the video twenty times, he still haven't received any calls from Kyoko yet to inform him that the event ended already. He was getting impatient he had the strongest urge to go down and find out himself what was happening to her, whether she was okay or not. Five minutes passed by and still no calls. He decided he couldn't wait any longer and called her phone but the phone kept on ringing. His feet was taking him to the door already when Yashiro answered the call.

"Where is she? Is she okay?" He demanded worriedly.

"Relax, Kuon. It just ended and she went to the restroom before we go up to your suite." Yashiro answered.

"Is she okay? She's not feeling dizzy or nauseated?"

"She's fine, Kuon. Oh, wait. She looked a bit pale at the end of the ceremony. So I just let her do one brief interview and then she went to the restroom. She'll be here in a few minutes, we'll go up and you'll see her then." Yashiro assured him.

"She better be here in one piece or I'll have your hide!" Kuon barked the threat at him and his manager gulped in fear.

"We'll be there." Yashiro replied in a squeaky voice as a chill ran down his spine. "Don't worry. We'll be there in a few minutes. Just wait."

"I'll just come down right now to get her." Kuon suddenly decided.

"No, Kuon! There's still some people left here. You're too eye-catchy with your blonde hair and blue eyes. Who knows there are still reporters here. Think of Kyoko's reputation and career."

"This is driving me crazy, Yashiro! Isn't she there yet? I'm having a real bad feeling right now. I can't sit still and I won't calm down until I see her without a hair out of place right this INSTANT!"

"Kuon, you're just a few floors away. The lift will take us about five minutes to your suite or even less. Just stay put." Yashiro reasoned with him.

"Will you just check if she's done? We've been talking on the phone for more than five minutes already."

"Are you asking me to go inside the ladies room?" His manager asked in pure incredulity.

"Just check on her, Yashiro. What if something happened to her while she's in there? What if she fainted and hit her head on something?"

"Kuon, I'll be called a pervert if someone sees me in there or going inside there!"

"Stop being a wimp, Yashiro. Just go check on her or I will come down there and check on her in the restroom myself!"

"Okay, okay!" Yashiro gave up fighting and whispered a little prayer to the gods that no one would be there except Kyoko and no one would see him go inside the ladies room because there was no fighting Kuon. His charge was seriously worried and Kuon was also serious in coming down himself to check if his wife was really okay.

Yashiro was whipping his head left and right to look around if anyone was watching him. There were only the cleaning service left inside the event hall now. All the people who participated in the award ceremony were already gone. He hadn't noticed them passing by him to go to the lift. He realized that he was so engrossed with assuring Kuon.

He sucked in a breath and he went in the ladies restroom. He tiptoed inside like a thief while his heart hammered in his ribcage. He called Kyoko's name. No one answered. He called her name again and still no answer. He slowly checked each stall and found no one. He fearfully told Kuon he couldn't find her in the restroom because no one was there. Yashiro heard the tone on the phone when Kuon hang up on him. He knew Kuon was on his way down. He breathed deep and let it out slowly to calm himself before he went to find Kyoko.

Kuon punched the lift button ten times with his thumb before it opened. He pushed the floor of the event hall and then kept punching the close button until the door on the lift closed. He kept tapping his feet on the floor as he impatiently waited for the lift to get him fast to Kyoko. He let out a series of curses when the lift stopped before he reached the right floor. Kuon was in full demon lord mood now. An older couple waiting outside the lift were frightened when they saw his hard glinting eyes and heard the cusses that flew from his mouth. They stood petrified and Kuon repeatedly hit the close button to hurry it up. He finally arrived and he saw Yashiro came out of the event hall.

"She's not inside. I've looked everywhere and asked if anyone saw her and they hadn't." Yashiro reported.

"Where the hell is she? How could she just go missing like that? Everyone kept telling me she's gonna be safe inside the hotel and now, she's gone!" Kuon growled.

He went inside the event hall to look for her himself. He went to the ladies restroom, she wasn't there. She wasn't in the mens restroom, the event hall, under the tables, everywhere. No one saw her, either. So he went outside and started shouting her name, in case she was inside one of the other rooms in that floor. There was no answer.

Then, he heard a blood curling shriek that made his heart drop to the floor. It wasn't that loud. It was muted by the walls. But he knew in his gut, in his mind and in his heart that it was Kyoko... And she was in trouble. He stopped thinking and let instinct guide him. He pushed open the door to the Emergency Stairwell and saw the bastard on his knees, hunched over and clutching his crotch near the stairs that led down. Then he heard noises that made his heart stopped beating. It was noises of a body hitting solid concrete over...and over...and over...and over again.

His face was white as sheet and dark as the night. As much as he was furious with the f***tard, his wife's well being was more important. He kicked the good for nothing idiot aside as he made his way to Kyoko. What he saw turned even his hair white. He forgot to breath for a moment as he flew down to her. She lay crumpled and broken on the landing of the stairwell.

"Kyoko, Kyoko! Open your eyes!" He was a little afraid to touch her, in case there were broken bones and he might cause her more pain. "Kyoko! Look at me! Open your eyes! Don't do this to me! Kyo-ko..." his voice broke at the end.

He touched her wrist which was protectively wrapped around her belly. Tears started to fall from his eyes as he realized she was protecting their baby when she fell. He felt her pulse and his worse fear was relieved. He checked her breathing, and another fear relieved again. But he was still shaking like a leaf as he looked at her. Her forehead and cheek were cut and bleeding. He looked down her whole body. Her arms, knees and calf had scratches, cuts and bruises too. And she was still out.

He searched for his phone and he couldn't find it. He left it at their suite when he dropped it before he ran to the lift in his haste. He shouted for Yashiro. His manager came running and stopped in shock as he saw Kyoko laying crumpled on the floor.

"Give me your phone! Yashiro, WAKE UP and _give_ me your phone!"

Yashiro was startled awake and he tossed him Kyoko's phone he was still holding in his gloved hand. Kuon dialed the emergency number.

"I need an ambulance RIGHT NOW! My wife fe-ll down the st-airs." His voice broke again.

"What is your location, sir?"

"We're at Keio Plaza Hotel at X floor Emergency stairwell! Hurry!"

"Sir, calm down. Help is on the way. Please stay on the line and do NOT move her."

"I'm not moving her. But she's unconscious and she's n-ot opening her EYES! How long until the ambulance gets here?"

"We are working as fast as we can, Sir. It is on its way. ETA is ten minutes."

"**Ten minutes? Can't you get here faster? She needs help NOW! My WIFE is PREGNANT! She fell down a concrete flight of stairs and she's not opening her eyes!**" He lost his temper and shouted at the guy on the other end of the line. He didn't even know he had switched languages and shouted in English.

"I-I-I...I'm very sorry, Sir. I can't f-fully understand you." The emergency operator stammered.

"**How can you not understand plain English?**" He barked back and then a second later after he finished saying that his mind clicked and remembered he was in Japan.

He shouted it all over again at the operator now in perfect Japanese which the operator understood clearly. But Kuon had paled even more when he saw blood pooling between Kyoko's legs. He was back to shouting, scolding and cursing the emergency operator in all the languages he had known: English, Japanese, Russian and a little bit of Spanish into the mix.

Ten minutes later, the ambulance and the EMTs arrived and took them to the hospital. Kuon held Kyoko's hand all the way to the hospital. He even fought the nurse and doctors when they wanted him to let her hand go so they could treat her. One of the doctors finally shouted at him that his wife could be in great danger if he would not let go and let them do their job. He then paced the hallway like an angry bear as he waited agonizingly for the answers to his million questions about the condition of his wife.

Meanwhile, Yashiro remained at the hotel. The police came to investigate what really happened. Yashiro answered their questions and narrated his side of the story. After one of the EMTs announced that the famous singer was okay apart from the knee to the groin, they asked him to go with them to the nearest precinct along with Yashiro for his statement because Yashiro had told them that it wasn't the first time the famous singer had kidnapped or forcibly took Kyoko to wherever she did not want to go. He also told them about his harassing calls, sexual harassment and a two incidents of disturbances in her work place. The police asked why they did not reported it before. Yashiro answered his best guess: he was her childhood friend before and Kyoko did not want a public spectacle about it.

The president went to the precinct first to take care of everything with Yashiro while Kuu, Julie, Namiko and Ryuu drove straight to the hospital. There, they found Kuon surrounded by dark clouds of worry and anger pacing the floor like a bear ready to kill anyone who disturb him. But Julie went straight to his arms and hug her baby boy.

"What happened? How is she?" Julie asked worriedly for both Kyoko and her son because he did not look close to okay.

He couldn't answer at first as the image of a Kyoko laying crumpled and bleeding at the stairs' landing made him stop breathing again and his heart fell to the ground again. He forced air into his lungs and answered as his eyes pooled.

"Sh-she fell down a flight of stairs at the emergency stairwell of the hotel. I don't know how it happened but that lousy dog, Fuwa, was there too." He said. "I heard her shriek, mom! And the sound that her body made when it hit the stairs! And, and she was bleeding... And she wouldn't open her eyes... She...she... Ou-our..."

He couldn't finish what he was saying for fear of it really coming true. He took a deep breath through his nose and pulled away from his mom to sit on the bench against the wall. He buried his face in his hands and let out a sob. Julie went to comfort him while Kuu went to the nearest nurse station to request a private waiting room for them because they were now attracting a lot eyes and he knew there were still others on their way who were also well-known in the entertainment industry.

Kuon needed a lot of convincing to leave for the private waiting room. Julie and Kuu did a lot of talking, comforting, coaxing, reasoning to get Kuon to go to the new waiting area. But they eventually got there. And an hour before midnight, Yashiro together with the president, Sebastian and Kanae had arrived and told them what happened at the police station.

Yashiro had his statement taken. The president provided them with the evidence of the call harassment he already had since Kuon told him about it. And they had filed for restraining order for Kyoko from the famous singer based on the call harassment records and the incident that happened that night. The president wanted to charge him of kidnapping and attempted sexual assault but he didn't want Kyoko's name to be stained by that kind of press and he was sure that the media would be all over it. So, he just contented himself with Sho spending the night in prison for the harassment. He could bail himself out the day after but he had to spend the night in prison.

The president thought that was a very light punishment while one of his beloved actresses was fighting for her life or for the life of her baby in the hospital. It was not even half of what Kyoko was going through.

Finally at midnight, the doctor came in their waiting room where Kuon paced down the tiny length of the room.

"Tell me my wife is okay!" He demanded and pleaded at the same time.

"Please, calm down. Hizuri-san." As the good doctor was saying this, the whole lot of them had stood up too and looked at him expectantly with pleading eyes to end the misery they were in. He gulped in nervousness because what he was about to say was not going to put them out of their misery. He didn't even know that the Hizuri he was attending to was related to the famous Hizuri Kuu. He was now sweating in nervousness.

"I am Doctor Kitagawa, I was the one who attended to your wife, Hizuri-san."

"Just tell me how is my wife!"

"Very well. Your wife has had a light concussion, a hairline cut on her forehead, a sprained wrist which I believe due to her trying to break her fall and several small cuts and bruises in her arms and legs. She is now resting in her private room which you have requested. She needs her rest right now so I gave her a sedative. It will take a week or two before she can be discharge and go home."

"A-and the... The b-baby? Our baby?" Kuon asked feeling both hopeful and fearful.

The doctor grimaced and looked down for a moment. He looked up and stared Kuon straight in the eyes as he told him the sad and painful truth.

"I am very sorry to inform you...we did everything we could but we could not stop the bleeding and she lost the baby..."

_She lost the baby... _It seemed to echo in all their minds. _She lost the baby..._

* * *

><p><em>I am so sorry! This is the little bit of Tragedy I was talking about in my summary of this story. But I promise, if we can get through this together, it will get better... I will make it better... I love happy ending. But this is just the beginning of the end so please bear with me. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Please don't hesitate or think twice of letting me know how you feel about this chapter. And I am very sorry to those I've disappointed because of this tragedy. I know you were so excited for their baby and I really am very sorry. :(<em>

_Thank you so much for your continuing reviews, follows, favs, for continue reading this story and liking it... I love you, guys... Take care and God bless... ^_^_


	28. Chapter 28

**Discalimer:** I don't own Skip Beat Manga or Anime or any of its characters, plots, etc…

_I am so sorry I took soooooo long updating and it was at a very good part of it too, right? I really am so sorry. I was really busy. I'm always at work. I'm only home two or one night in the last three weeks. I'm sure you want to get on with the story now, so please Enjoy! ^_^ I really hope you will like it and not hate me for what's going on down there. Just remember, I love HAPPY ENDINGS! Sorry it's a little short..._

**_Recap:_**

"Just tell me how is my wife!"

"Very well. Your wife has had a light concussion, a hairline cut on her forehead, a sprained wrist which I believe due to her trying to break her fall and several small cuts and bruises in her arms and legs. She is now resting in her private room which you have requested. She needs her rest right now so I gave her a sedative. It will take a week or two before she can be discharge and go home."

"A-and the... The b-baby? Our baby?" Kuon asked feeling both hopeful and fearful.

The doctor grimaced and looked down for a moment. He looked up and stared Kuon straight in the eyes as he told him the sad and painful truth.

"I am very sorry to inform you...we did everything we could but we could not stop the bleeding and she lost the baby..."

_She lost the baby... _It seemed to echo in all their minds. _She lost the baby..._

The Great Escape

Chapter 28:

_Jealousy, turning saints into the sea_

_Swimming through sick lullabies_

_Choking on your alibis_

_But it's just the price I pay_

_Destiny is calling me_

"WHAT THE HELL WHERE YOU THINKING?!"

The president of Akatoki Agency shouted at the haggard looking visual kei singer. They just bailed him out of prison early that morning. Oshiro Hiroaki was tempted to just leave him there to rot for what he had done. He saw the clip from the surveillance camera of the hotel in the hallway and stairwell and he was furious of what he had seen.

"Or were you not thinking all?" Oshiro growled and then turned his attention to the woman sitting next to the singer. "And you?! Where were you, Shoko? What the hell were you doing beside your job of managing this DIMWIT?"

Sho gritted his teeth for being called a dimwit.

"If it was just your career at stake here, Fuwa, I would have left you in that cell to rot. But WHY did you have to choose a girl from L.M.E.?!" Oshio wanted to pull his hair out. "Lory is FURIOUS! He is not the kind of man you can go against with or any of his employees. He is known for his protectiveness! And now his actress is in the hospital with a concussion, a nearly broken wrist and covered in cuts and bruises! What do you have to say to that?"

"It was an accident!" Sho reasoned back.

"Have you seen the footage, Sho?! You forcibly took the girl to the emergency stairwell! They are threatening to charge you with kidnapping, attempted sexual assault and stalking! Do you have any idea how serious this is? And you, Shoko! They can blacklist you from this industry for unethical use of business information. I bet they are just doing that right now. And if I happen to have a record of blacklisted manager in my payroll, it will taint my agency's reputation and I am very sure that will just be the beginning! I know they are already planning our entire downfall!"

"If they do, I will drag them down with me! I know their secret and I will threaten to expose it if they will ruin me and my career!" Sho argued smugly - albeit, a very stupid smugness.

"Do you hear yourself, Sho? Did you hear any word I've said to you?" Oshio slammed his palms on the table in front of them inside the conference room. "The police already know all the truth! They gave me a copy of everything and the names and words I read there are so high up there that you are like a _dog_ BARKING for the MOON!"

"What are you talking about? She's my childhood friend. She's an abandoned little girl my parents took in because her mother is close friend of my mom's! She's a nobody!"

"Well, THAT nobody is an award winning Rookie of the Year, a debuting star in L.M.E and married to the SON of the famous Hollywood actor HIZURI KUU!"

Sho's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water before he could process the full meaning of the sentence and for his brain to come up with a reply.

"But I thought she was married to Tsuruga Ren?"

"Apparently, that's just a cover according to Tsuruga-san's manager who personally gave all those information to me this morning. And you know what he said to me? This was the only thing they could do for the young Hizuri to not come here and kill you!" Oshio gave a shiver just thinking about the glinting eyes of that manager that promised darkness, suffering and lots and lots of pain.

"But tha-"

"SHUT UP! And just listen to me before I change my mind and throw you out on the streets where you belong because YOU BEHAVE LIKE A DOG!" This was the first time Sho saw the president of his agency this furious and close to strangling him. "Go HOME or wherever that is far, far away from here where you can no longer cause any more damage and stay there until I say you can come back. Or else I will personally throw you in jail myself!

* * *

><p><em>I'm wide awake<em>

_Yeah, I was in the dark_

_I was falling hard_

_With an open heart_

_I'm wide awake..._

Kyoko came into consciousness feeling warm like she always did ever since she and Kuon started sharing a bed. She felt his arm over her belly, one of his leg over hers and one semi-hard thingy pushing on her side. She remembered that first morning she woke up with Kuon spooning her from the back and feeling that pressed on her behind. At first she didn't know what it was and when she finally realized it, her head blew up and she turned to stone. Kuon bolted upright when he heard a piercing shriek which Kyoko didn't realize she had let out. It went downhill from there.

Kyoko unconsciously snuggled to the warm body pressed against her as a blissful, lazy smile bloomed on her face. But when she moved she felt her body screamed at her. It was screaming pain! That jolted her brain fully awake and it slowly dawned on her...what had happened to her.

_My baby?! _She thought frantically as her eyes flew open… or at least she was trying to open it. _What happened to my baby?! _She forced her hand to move and rest it on her lower abdomen.

She had trouble opening her eyes. It seemed that both her eyelids were glued shut. It was like lifting lead. But the thought of her baby gave her the strength to pry her eyelids open and find out to whoever can tell her what had happened to her baby.

The last thing she remembered was waking up in the hospital with all the doctors and nurses doing a lot of things around her. She was very frightened and she couldn't remember what had happened at first. The doctor asked her name, age and the basic information and that jogged her memory. She had a horrified look when she remembered falling and protecting her baby. The doctor told her he had stopped the bleeding but it still was not a hundred percent sure it would stay that way. There was still a chance that she might lose the baby. But for the meantime, they had attended to her wounds and bruises. After they cleaned her up, they sent her to X-ray for her arm to see if it was sprained, fractured or really broken when a blinding pain shoot up inside her suddenly. It was so blindingly painful that she passed out in a few minutes. That was the last thing she remembered…that excruciating pain from her lower abdomen.

Just pain…and more pain…

When she opened her eyes, the bright light hurt her eyes for a few seconds before she squinted and adjusted to it. Then she turned her head to the familiar warmth still snuggling her. She saw golden hair. When she moved again, Kuon had startled awake. He was about to suddenly get out of bed when he remembered where they were and her present condition.

Kuon's eyes showed great concerned for her as he gently extricated himself from her so not to cause her anymore pain. He looked so haggard and full of worries.

"How are you feeling? Are you in pain? Should I call the nurse…or the doctor?" Kuon fired out his concerns.

Kyoko slowly shook her head and whispered in a hoarse voice. "…b…b-aby…"

_Wish I knew then_

_What I know_

_Wouldn't dive in_

_Wouldn't bow down_

_Gravity hurts _

_You made it so sweet_

Kuon blinked before he understood her and he continued to stare at her like a deer caught in the headlights. He opened his mouth and tried to tell her but he didn't know how. Even he himself still could not believe that reality. He did not want to believe it. But she was asking him about their baby…the baby who, according to the doctor, was not in Kyoko's tummy anymore. Their baby was not growing or living inside her anymore.

For the first time in Kuon's adult life, a tear spilled out from his eyes and fell down his cheek. It continued and continued and Kyoko instinctively knew what happened to their baby. Seeing him cry like a broken doll in front of her, she didn't feel the pain when her arm reached out and tugged him down to her. Kuon went with her and embraced her as they cried together for the loss of a life that they had made together.

A life that was a piece of them both.

_Falling from cloud nine_

_Crashing from the high_

_Yeah, I'm letting go tonight_

_Falling from cloud nine_

_I'm wide awake_

Kyoko fell asleep in exhaustion after they both cried their hearts out for the loss of their unborn baby. Kuon looked gaunt as ever and each and every one of them who cared for him had finally managed to convince him to go home for an hour or two to shower, change clothes and eat. He reluctantly went home with their driver Ryuu. He went up and looked at his big bed which now had become as much her bed as it was his. It was their bed. It was inviting him on it and his control at the moment was nowhere to be found so he had succumbed. He laid down on it and smelled the scent of Kyoko. It calmed him but at the same time he ached for all the things that had gone wrong in the last twenty four hours. He closed his eyes once and he could not open it again. He was exhausted physically and emotionally. He fell asleep instantly.

The next time he opened his eyes, it was already starting to get dark. He bolted up and looked around for the time. The clock had showed him that it was already five thirty-six in the afternoon. He took a five minute shower and got dressed. Thanking the gods and, of course, their cook and housekeeper Nameko for the Onigiri's on the kitchen counter. He took two big rice balls and went out the door in rush to be at his wife's side. He took a bite as he cursed everyone who convinced him to go home and for not waking him up when he fell asleep.

He drove to the hospital in a rush breaking a few speed limits. He nearly ran to Kyoko's room. When he came into her room, his parents were their watching his wife for him. Her mom stood up and gave him a hug and asked him how he was feeling after his break. He scowled at them.

"You didn't call me when I took too long." He accused them.

"We know you could use a little bit of rest, son." Kuu replied. "We're here for her, too. You don't have to take it all up by yourself."

Kuon's scowl was still stuck to his face. "I know, dad. But I can't help it. Look what happened when I took my eyes of her for a few hours."

"It wasn't your fault." Julie rubbed his back in comfort.

"I wasn't there for her and our baby when they needed me the most." Kuon whispered painfully.

_Again… I couldn't save someone I love, _Kuon thought regretfully.

"It was that brat's fault. If it wouldn't be for the damn sales-hungry media who twists and blow everything out of proportion, I would have taken that shit by his collar to the court and make him confess for all those things he had done." Kuu said angrily. "I'll let him rot in a cell for the rest of his days. Good for him, I don't want that kind of media for my daughter. I don't want that kind of record for Kyoko-chan. She's too good for that kind of in-your-face media attention… especially right now that she's hurting. We're all hurting…"

"Anyways," His mom changed the subject because she couldn't stand the tension and depressing atmosphere. "Kyoko woke up earlier and the doctor spoke to her. He asked her a bunch of questions and she told him that she was experiencing cramps that day before she fell and she also had a bit of spotting that day. So-"

"What is spotting?" Kuon asked.

"Spotting is a light bleeding and the woman sees spots of blood on her underwear." Julie explained and Kuon's eyes grew wide. "So, the doctor said that it wasn't really the fall that caused it." Julie finished in a slight whisper.

"Bu-, But how?" Kuon asked in a hollow whisper.

Kuu and Julie looked at him with sad expressions. They, too, were greatly saddened and greatly hurt by all that happened. They were very excited to hear that they were going to be grandparents but when they came, they found out that they lost their precious grandbaby. And now, they could not blame anyone because it wasn't even the fault of the retard that hurt their daughter.

"Sometimes nature has its way of fixing things… Maybe something was wrong." Julie offered as an answer to her son's big question. But it didn't do anything for the wound and hurt were too great.

"How was she?" Kuon asked after a long moment of silence while longingly watching his wife on the bed who was sleeping peacefully.

"She looked weak and fragile. She looked like she was going to break any minute… but she didn't." Kuu replied sadly.

"She asked when could she be able to get out of here and the doctor said she could be in two days, depending on her condition. And she needs one week bed rest and one more week of relaxation and healing." Julie told Kuon.

"After that she went back to sleep like she didn't even know we were here." Kuu sobbed like a baby.

Kuon went to sit by her bed and held her hand. "Why didn't you call me?" He grumbled.

His parents bid him goodbye as they went out to stretch, get some food and rest. It has been a really stressful and tiring twenty four hours for them. Kuon watched Kyoko sleep. His heart was still in pieces for their baby and it was painful seeing Kyoko with black and blue bruises and bandages. He ached to exchange places with her. If he could only be the one to suffer, to be the one lying there on the bed with all those bruises. Seeing her in pain, it was tearing him apart. It was driving him insane. He wanted to go out and hunt the bastard. To make him suffer much more than she suffered. But he was rooted where he was. She anchored him there.

Kuon leaned in and kissed the back of Kyoko's hand. Then, he turned it over to cup his cheek. He stayed like that feeling the warmth and smoothness of her palm. He didn't notice he feel asleep with her.

Something jolted him awake and his eyes flew open. He was still in the position when he first fell asleep, his cheek on her palm. He straightened up and looked at his wife. Her eyes were open. She was awake. He perked up instantly. He smiled at her and was about to ask how she was feeling and if she was feeling any pain. But Kyoko turned to look at him in the eyes. The words died on his mouth. Her eyes were empty. It was like she wasn't even seeing him.

Kuon was shocked and then, he felt like someone was reaching for his heart inside his body, squeezing it and was trying to rip it right out from his chest. Cold eyes and anger burning in her eyes would have been understandable and he could have handled that one. But empty and dead eyes… that he could not handle. It was making him feel very helpless.

He thought that was the worse, feeling helpless of seeing Kyoko's empty eyes and knowing he could not do or say anything to help her. But it wasn't. He found out that it could still get even worse when Kyoko opened her mouth.

"I…" There was a long pause after Kyoko started. "…I want a… a divorce…"

* * *

><p><em>Again I am so sorry for the late update. I really, really hope you liked it despite of the new twist again and especially after that last sentence up there. It will work out eventually, I promise… Just be patient with me. Again, I love Happy Ending! So this one will be too. <em>

_Thank you so much for being so patient with me. I know you don't have a choice but to be. I'm very grateful that you continue reading, reviewing, following, fav-ing and liking my story. It really means a lot to me and I really appreciate you guys. I read every single review you write to me. I love you guys and read you all in my next update. God bless you! ^_^_


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat manga/anime or any of its plots, characters, etc.

_I AM VERY SORRY for the very late update. A lot has happen. You know, LIFE. I've been very busy and everything. I'm really sorry. I hope you won't hate me after you finish reading this chapter. You'll know what I'm talking about when you reach the end of this chapter. I'm really sorry. Please enjoy reading! ^_^_

Recap:

Kuon was shocked and then, he felt like someone was reaching for his heart inside his body, squeezing it and was trying to rip it right out from his chest. Cold eyes and anger burning in her eyes would have been understandable and he could have handled that one. But empty and dead eyes… that he could not handle. It was making him feel very helpless.

He thought that was the worse, feeling helpless of seeing Kyoko's empty eyes and knowing he could not do or say anything to help her. But it wasn't. He found out that it could still get even worse when Kyoko opened her mouth.

"I…" There was a long pause after Kyoko started. "…I want a… a divorce…"

The Great Escape

Chapter 29:

_Chest to chest, nose to nose, palm to palm_

_We were always just that close_

_Wrist to wrist, toe to toe_

_Lips that felt just like the inside of a rose_

_So, how come when I reach out my fingers_

_It feels like more than distance between us_

Ren opened his mouth but no sound came out. Silence reigned for a few seconds before his throat worked. He replied to her, "No."

But Kyoko just continued looking at him with empty eyes.

"No...No." He was shaking his head. "You are hurting right now. I know how you feel, Kyoko. I am hurting too. We cannot think straight right now. So, don't decide or do anything rash, babe... Don't think about anything else except on healing and getting well, okay?"

He continued and plead to her. "Please... I'll always be here for you no matter what. You can think about other things after the doctor signs a bill that says you're as healthy as a horse."

"...d...divorce..." She repeated.

"Just rest for now and sleep." He squeezed her hand gently and patted her hand gently and patted her head softly. "We'll talk later when I'm not worried sick about you..." He whispered.

He was beyond worried sick now after that conversation which happened in mere minutes. He was freaking out! His hair was turning gray from just that one word that she just said. He felt like fainting right that moment. It was like Kyoko just said to him that the world was coming to an end. His world was coming to an end.

He held her hand, squeezed it tightly. He didn't want to lose her even for a second. He was already planning on calling Yashiro to cancel all his work when he would finally come down from where this shock Kyoko had put him in. He was also going to call a meeting with everyone so he could ask their help to convince Kyoko out of this...this thing that she asked him about. He could not even say the word, let alone think it.

He just prayed to the gods, buddha, any deity or higher power to help him because he could not bear to lose her. Not this way. She was far to broken, far too weak and hurt. It was tearing him apart. Anger rose from deep within him. He wanted to beat up that lowest human being who ever came into this world for hurting her to this extent. If possible, he would like to erase that dog's existence. Now, he felt like hunting him down.

He looked down at Kyoko. She was fast asleep and he could see the toll of what happened to her on her face. She had bags under her eyes and they were puffy from weeping. His jaw tightened in anger and frustration. He knew that he couldn't leave her. He would never leave her. Never. Ever.

* * *

><p>Kyoko woke up. It took a full minute for everything to come back to her. When she fully remembered, she wished she hadn't woken up. She didn't have the will to live anymore.<p>

It was pointless.

It was useless.

Life only breaks and crushes people. Love breaks hearts. Happiness was so fleeting and was often snatched away when you finally get a taste of it. Fate was cruel.

Ever since she was small it was always that way. Her father died before she could even grow up to get to know and remember him. Her mother abandoned her because she disappointed her. Sho dumped her like a used tissue because she already served her purpose to him. And now, when she finally thought she could be happy, that she could finally overcome her fear of being like her mother and slowly opening up to love, romantically and motherly...

Fate dealt her another cruel blow. Fate snatched them away in a blink of an eye.

Fate was always cruel to her. So, what's the point of living when fate only pokes fun at you? Toss and batters you however it wants?

She couldn't even face the man who made her dream come true of having a loving family and giving her the happiness she hadn't felt before, true happiness.

But she ruined everything by letting Sho dragged her to that stairwell. It's not even Sho's fault according to the doctor. She had spotting earlier that day. She felt the cramping. She was the one at fault for not taking care of that baby...

_Maybe the baby is gone because I didn't take care of it carefully enough. Or maybe something's wrong with my body, that's why my baby couldn't survive. Or maybe Okaa-san was right. I can't do anything right. I'm just a disappointment to everybody. _She thought depressingly. _I disappointed the Fuwas by running away with Sho. Sho was disappointed because I wasn't good enough for him. And now with K... K-Kuon... I killed his baby... The life he gave to me to care for. I didn't take care of it properly. I killed our baby..._

Tears flowed down her still closed eyes. And her heart broke to tiny little pieces all over again. This happened every time she woke up. She didn't want to go on with her life. She wanted to just disappear... Just like her...their baby had. Fresh new tears fell from her eyes as her heart ached again.

_I need to let Kuon go. I can't make him happy anymore. I'm sure he hates me now... _Kyoko thought while weeping. _I need to get away. I need to go away... To disappear... Let me disappear..._

She fell right back to sleep, exhausting herself from weeping.

* * *

><p>Kuon hated himself for leaving her when he told himself he would never leave her side. He called Yashiro to cancel everything for the next two to three weeks on his schedule and Kyoko's but some commitments couldn't be canceled with an apology or postponed for another convenient time. So he had to go for a day and a half to take care of everything. He hadn't even told them about what Kyoko talked to him about. He went straight to the hospital to get Kyoko out because the doctor was letting her go home. He took off his Tsuruga Ren black wig and went in to get her.<p>

His wife was still pale and fragile-looking when he saw her again. When their eyes met, it was still empty. It was still lifeless. It was the eyes of someone who gave up on living already. He knew it very well. He had been seeing that same look in the mirror when Rick died. He knew that look very well and he knew what that look felt like inside very well, too. That was why he would never leave her alone. He would never give up on her. He would never let her down again. He would save her. He would fill her with his love. He would make her love live again. He would give her happiness again. He would never make her look like this again even if it was the last thing he would ever do.

He signed all the discharge papers the nurse gave him. He listened to all the instructions the doctor told him about taking care of his wife: complete bed rest for one week. She could stand and take steps when going to the bathroom but not for very long. Healthy diet. Lots of sleep and fluid intake. No stress and if possible, no thoughts, words, actions and etc. that will cause depression to the patient. Kyoko would come back for a checkup after a week. After that she was going to take it easy on work or any stressful or exhausting activities.

The ride home was pretty silent except for Kuon asking her if she was comfortable or does anything hurt. He drove home carefully and when they parked in their garage, Kyoko finally spoke.

"I want to stay at Daruma-ya." Kyoko told him. Kuon clenched his teeth and inhaled a lung full of air to calm himself before he turned his upper body to face her.

"Babe, the doctor said you need bed rest for at least a week and I won't let you not take care of yourself. I'm here and I'm your husband and I will take care of you whether you like it or not. I am not going to go away, Kyoko. I am not going to abandon you ever! Okay?" He looked at her with puppy eyes. "I want you to be healthy and well and happy again... Please..."

She was silent and Kuon took that as a yes. He carried her up to their house where everyone was waiting for them. Kanae instantly hugged her.

"Do not scare me like that again, okay?" Kanae looked at her with very serious eyes. "I will not forgive you a second time. And I will not let that bastard near you ever again."

Maria looked at her onee-sama worried and hugged her very gently so to not hurt her. Yashiro and Lory wished her to get well soon. Kuu and Julie kissed her forehead before Kuon carried her upstairs to get some more rest.

Nameko helped Kuon make Kyoko comfortable in bed and told her that if she ever needed something or needed to go to the bathroom, just call either one of them and they will help her. Kyoko nodded and closed her eyes. Before long she was breathing evenly and was fast asleep. Kuon didn't want to leave her side and go downstairs to talk to his family but he really needed to. He reluctantly let go of her hand and went down the stairs careful not to make a sound that would wake her.

"It finally hit the shelves." Lory informed them after he sat down with them. "Yesterday, it was about the brat taking an unexpected vacation and canceling or postponing all of his jobs and commitments for the next month."

Sebastian then magically appeared and provided them with the newspaper for that day. "Deadly Incident at Ellen Do'r Awards Ceremony" was the headline and there was a picture of Kyoko receiving her award. It said that there was an eyewitness who saw a woman wearing a midnight blue dress on the stretcher on the elevator. They recognized the woman as Kyoko but they didn't have any information about culprit of the incident. The police department didn't release any statements so the article was all speculation. For now.

Kuon sighed. "Won't this arouse suspicions? Kyoko got into an accident and then suddenly the brat decided to take an unexpected time off?"

"He deserves it when people know he's the one who pushed her down the stairs." Kanae replied angrily.

"He didn't exactly push her down the stairs." Lory commented.

"He FORCIBLY took her in that stairwell and tried to keep her there and tried to kiss her! Am I the only one seeing the video footage and the big picture clearly?" Kanae shouted.

"Relax, Kotonami-san. Nothing will come of your anger right now." Julie tried to comfort her daughter's best friend. "The only thing we should be focusing on is getting her out of that depression and getting her well again."

Everyone around went silent in agreement and Kuon held his tongue in informing the rest of his and Kyoko's family that she wanted to divorce him. It would only make them more worried and the situation would only be more stressful.

_In this California king bed_

_We're ten thousand miles apart_

_I've been California wishing on these stars _

_For your heart for me_

_My California king_

Kuon diligently took care of Kyoko every single day of the week. He didn't leave her side. He exercised every drop of restraint he could ground out of him every single night. He often lay awake next to her watching her sleep and wondering what he was gonna do to bring her back to her former cheerful and determined self.

He was getting extremely worried because every single day Kyoko faded slowly. She didn't put up a fight when he and Nameko took care of her. She didn't utter any complaint. Why would she when she wasn't saying anything. Kuon could only hear her talk when she was asleep. Most nights she would have nightmares. From what he could understand she was dreaming about how they lost their baby and Kuon's heart ached with her. In those nights, he held her gently and those are the times when he would get a response from Kyoko. She would embrace him back tightly as if she was very afraid to lose him. He liked to think that was the reason but when she awoke the next morning, she was back to being the empty shell of the woman she once was.

It was terrifying to see the most determined person Kuon knew in his entire life gave up hope and stopped living. It was like watching his former self, the Kuon after Rick's death. He knew that feeling but what he didn't know was how Kyoko took him out of that darkness which now she was in.

Kyoko's one week of complete bed rest ended and they went to the doctor's for Kyoko's appointment. The doctor had told them the bleeding had stopped and the tests show there was no tissues left in her uterus. Everything was healing nicely, even quickly than he thought. Her bruises had already turned purplish black and on their way to yellowish. Her hairline wound on her forehead already closed but not completely. The doctor prescribed some ointment to put so it won't leave any scars on her face. She could also take off the brace on her wrist. The strain was just a little bit more than when Chiori pushed her down the stairs. But he still recommended that she rest most of the day for another week so she won't overexert herself and delayed her healing and getting well.

Two days after they got back from the doctors, there was still no improvement with Kyoko's behavior. She was still depressed. She barely talk even when Kanae and the Daruma-ya couple came by to visit her. Just as he suspected, she was slowly fading away and he was not going to sit there and watch it happen. He asked permission and help from his family to take Kyoko some place. A change of scenery for her. He hoped that maybe it would help her.

She didn't protest when he put her in the car and he drove them to the place where he hoped it would wake her up from this depression. They headed out late in the afternoon so by the time they came close to the place, Kyoko will not immediately recognize it. Kyoko slept through the ride and Kuon was relieved and glad to let her sleep. He just hoped his idea works because if it didn't, he didn't know what to do anymore. He also hoped she wouldn't freak out when she finally see the place they were going to.

* * *

><p>Kyoko stirred awake and not really in a hurry to open her eyes. She stretched lazily and noticed Kuon lying next to her. She still hasn't opened her eyes. She didn't want to see Kuon's face and be reminded of what she had taken away from him. It was painful. Just waking up and remembering was painful. Even breathing was painful. It meant that she was alive and their baby was not. It also meant that she would get hurt over and over again...especially when that time comes.<p>

The time when Kuon would finally look her in the eyes with contempt and anger. When he finally realized she was a disappointment. She was cursed and can't do anything right. When she won't be able to make him happy. She let out a sigh and opened her eyes...and she froze.

The ceiling was very familiar. Her eyes roamed around the room and everything was as it was when she was last there right to the candles in the clear jars and rose petals on the floor and bed. Her eyes widened and she felt like the air was knocked out of her.

_NO! No, it couldn't be... Kuon wouldn't do this. He can't do this. He knew... He knew! _Kyoko thought in a panic. _This... This place is where... _

"Wha... Wh... Why did you bring me here?" She asked in a whisper and Kuon started to stir awake. He was still sleeping when Kyoko woke up. "Why?" She demanded much louder.

Her eyes started to pool as memories started to play in her mind. Sobs she tried hard to suppress shook her body and slowly burst out from her throat. Kuon was startled awake by her sobs and he sat up from the bed and took her in his arms.

"Kyoko... Babe... SShhh... It's okay. I'm right here." He comforted her in his arms.

"Wh..why'd you...bring me...h-ere?" She asked between sobs. Kuon embraced her more tightly.

"I want you back... I want you in my life, Kyoko..." He replied. "I want you to live life with me... I was where you are right now and you brought me back to the real world... You have to take responsibility."

"I don't wanna live anymore!" Kyoko screamed back with sobs that tore his whole being apart.

"Why, Kyoko? I'm here! So are your best friend Kotonami-san, Maria-chan, Mom, Dad, Boss, even Sebastian loves you. We all love you. The Taisho and Okami from Daruma-ya also." He kissed her temple. "We will protect you and we can all make you happy if you _just_ let us."

"You will all go away soon..." Kyoko said which made Kuon really confused. "Just like my mom, Sho, and now our baby... Our baby! Who was made here... Here! Why'd you bring me here? Do you hate me that much?"

Kuon stopped breathing as that one line stabbed at his heart. It was deja vu for Kuon, and he could clearly see that there was no half measures with Kyoko anymore. With his feelings either. He was going to wait until she was back to her usual self again before he would confess her but the situation right now called for it. He would not let her misunderstand his motives and his feelings for her anymore, especially now that she was feeling so insecure.

He pulled away just slightly from her and tilted her head to face him. He looked deep into her eyes and let all his love and pain shone through. The back of his hand gently caressed her cheek and wiping away the tears.

"I _don't_ hate you. I love you, princess." He confessed. Finally. After all these years. "I'm in love with you, Hizuri Kyoko..."

* * *

><p><em>I am so sorry about the cliffy! But we are certainly getting there... To that happy ending I've talked to you guys about. It's definitely getting close to the end. I'll be sad to when this ends. It had been fun writing this. Like a roller-coaster ride every time. Thank you all so much for bearing with me and my impossibly slow updates. Thank you so much guys for still reading my story. I really appreciate you guys. And it's my joy to share my stories with you... When I can share and update that is. Lol Love you guys! Read yah again next chapter... ^_^<em>


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Skip Beat! Manga, anime or any of its characters, plots, etc...

_Hi guys... I know it's been so long. I was as usual busy. I wanted to update sooner but I can't really concentrate on writing at work. I stay at my workplace four days a week and I spend Saturdays at church, the whole day. So that only leave Sundays and Mondays. Sunday is for family and cleaning. So I only have Mondays for me time. Anyways, I'm sure you really don't want to hear all about my circumstances, so I'll let go on and read. I am really sorry about the late updates... Hope you'll like this. Happy reading! ^_^_

_BTW my eyes are really tired, so please excuse any typo and grammatical errors... Thank you!_

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 30:

_I was born to tell you I love you_

_And I am torn to do what I have to_

_To make you mine, stay with me tonight_

Koun pulled away just slightly from Kyoko and tilted her head to face him. He looked deep into her eyes and let all his love and pain shone through. The back of his hand gently caressed her cheek and wiping away the tears.

"I don't hate you. I love you, princess." He confessed. Finally. After all these years. "I'm in love with you, Hizuri Kyoko..."

"I'm doing this because I love you and I want you to be happy. It wasn't your fault. Our baby...in its little time of life he had in your tummy, it was loved. You loved it... You loved our baby as much as I did and you took good care of it. I saw that, Kyoko. But it just wasn't meant to be. It happened and like you once said to me, we can't turn back time and change the past. We only have choices of how we live with them."

He looked at her bewildered eyes. Her tears suddenly stopped as she stared at him. Kyoko only heard the first three sentences and she hadn't heard the rest. Well, the first three sentences were the most important that Kuon had said. Those words were like a bomb to Kyoko. It dropped in her chaotic mind and obliterated everything else. Her mind was blank.

She looked at his eyes with disbelief. Maybe she heard him wrong. Maybe he said he hated her. But the third sentence didn't fit with the hate word. It would have been "I'm in hate with you." And that was just plain wrong. So she had to acknowledge that he said he was in love with her.

_But maybe... Maybe... _

"Yo...you're just...saying that!" She accused him. "You don't mean it. You're just saying that be-be-because I'm like this. I'm depressed and you pity me! But when I'm okay and your tired or bored with me, you'll leave just like all of them before!"

"Kyoko, listen to me!"

"No! Even our baby... Even... Even MY baby left me because I'm not worthy. I'm not deserving. I'm not perfect. I'm not-"

Kuon couldn't take it anymore and silenced his wife the only way he knew how. He kissed her. It wasn't gentle or comforting. It wasn't meant to be. It was a kiss of frustration and exasperation...and most of all, _**desperation**_.

Kuon was desperate. He was desperate for her to see him. Him! His love! What they had...their relationship... And even just the little bit of affection he was feeling for her would be enough. He just wanted her to see that he was worth the reason to continue living. That he was also a little bit important in her life and in her heart to continue living life with him.

Kyoko protested at first. She tried to push him away. To end the kiss. But he didn't budge. Desperation sometimes do that to a man. He was done having it her way. It was a rough kiss at first and punishing. When he didn't budge as she kept pushing him, Kyoko was overtaken by anger. She was enrage that Kuon was still kissing her when she didn't want to be kissed. She was very angry that she started to nip at his lips as she kissed him back. She smirked in triumph when she tasted blood. But Kuon seemed not to feel the pain at all. He continued kissing her more forcefully as he invaded her mouth with his tongue. Kyoko tried to fight back and regained dominance of the kiss but she was slowly losing the battle because she was clearly not that experienced in kissing. She hated herself when she heard herself start to moan in the kiss and it was obviously too late to try to pull away and end it. She felt even more angry but now at herself and not at the man who was kissing her.

Kuon knew she was angry when she tried to end the kiss by nipping his lip. But he could be stubborn too like her. So he continued to kiss her, to make her more angry because anger was so much better than no feeling at all. It was a good start to feel alive again. He knew she was more angry at herself than at him now when she lost dominance of their kiss and Kuon took advantage of that. He pulled her closer to him. Ran his hand down her back and back up to her shoulders on the side, slightly touching the side of her breast.

Time stopped for them. Surroundings forgotten as their base instincts took over fueled by their intense feelings. No one cared to be gentle. They soon ripped each others clothes and started to devour each other. It wasn't love making at all. It was pure need. It was hard and fast. The thought that Kyoko just got better and they needed to be careful didn't cross Kuon or Kyoko's mind. They stopped thinking even more when they went into that blissful paradise together.

They fell asleep afterwards. Exhaustion, emotionally and physically, caught up with them. But before Kyoko went off to dreamland, she heard his soft voice whispering to her.

"You are perfect, Kyoko...for me. But even if you don't see yourself as perfect and worthy, I am still going to love you... For...ever..." And deep slumber took them both together as if they didn't have a choice.

* * *

><p><em>Tonight, will be the night that I would fall for you over again<em>

_Don't make me change my mind_

_Or I won't live to see another, I swear it's true_

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find_

_Is impossible to find..._

Kuon was awaken later when he heard someone cry and keep saying 'No!' out loud. He opened his eyes and the bright sunlight of noon pierced his eyes. He took time to adjust and then he looked around. He found that he was spooning Kyoko on their honeymoon bed. And he found that she was crying in her sleep.

"...no..." Kyoko said with a frown, clearly distressed by her dream.

He shook her. "Babe, wake up. It's just a dream."

He continued shaking her until she was startled awake. She opened her eyes. She just stared at nothing for a few seconds and then she looked around. She turned her head to look at him with eyes still in tears. He wiped them and looked at her in concern.

"What were you dreaming?" Kuon finally asked her the question he had been wanting to ask when he lay awake next to her watching her toss and turn and cry out because of her nightmares. He knew she wouldn't answer him before but now, her eyes looked clear and they showed her emotions in those orbs. They weren't dead and empty. They showed extreme sadness and pain and helplessness. The emotions he had been feeling. He was hoping that she would finally put him out of his curiosity and concern for her.

She continued to stare at him blankly for a few minutes. Kuon nervously waited. He was half expecting her to ignore him and turn back to her empty shell self again but at the same time he was terrified of that happening for real. She blinked twice before she finally answered him.

"...it said go-goodbye..." Kyoko whispered in wonder.

Kuon looked at her in confusion. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"...and thank you..." Kyoko continued as she lowered her eyes from looking at his.

"What said goodbye and thank you?" He asked back in a whisper too because he felt like he might break the moment if he asked too loudly.

The silence in the room was deafening. He felt like his heart would stop or burst out from his chest in anticipation of Kyoko's answer. But when he heard her speak again, he knew his heart did stop for a second.

"Our baby..." She answered in a normal voice. Her voice was not weak or afraid anymore. It was stronger and more courageous and Kuon's heart soared in happiness. Kyoko was finally free of the shackled of endless guilt. Their little angel had come back and set his/her mommy free from the burden of guilt.

Kuon's eyes twinkled with unshed tears. It wasn't tears of sadness though, it was tears of pure happiness because he finally broke through her lovely wife's shell. She was with him again...in the land of the living. What was more was that she dreamed of their unborn child. He was both happy and sad. Happy for the love of his life but very sad for the baby they had lost, especially when they had come to love him/her so much.

He couldn't hold his feelings inside and leaned down to express all the emotions he was feeling in a kiss on her slightly parted lips. She was only too happy to oblige because she did not know what to think or feel right that moment. The bliss and pleasure in oblivion that Kuon had made her feel and experienced offered a very sweet escape. Just for once and just for a while, she could forget all the bad things that happened to her in her entire life. Just here in the arms of her husband she could feel safe and secure...and in peace.

_In the arms of the man... _Kyoko thought and finally admitted to herself. _I love..._

And she went on to wonder when she had started to love her husband. But the way she felt right now in his arms, she didn't mind to actually find out when she started to love him. The most important was she realized how she loved him and the knowledge that he loved her too. How he took care of her the entire time she was in another world and how he didn't give up on her, showed his love. She could also feel it in his every touch when they made love earlier. He held her like his life depended on her and like he wouldn't live another second if he could not feel her, kiss her, embrace her. She understood because she felt the same way at that time.

Kyoko was just afraid before and very depressed of losing their child that she was blinded from all the love Kuon had shown her and made her feel. People have moments of weaknesses where doubts and fear creep in and take over...and you unknowingly let it.

After their passionate bout of making out, they continued to lay there on the bed in each others arms. They weren't talking or whispering to each other. They were just enjoying the moment. The moment when everything was alright. Everything was crystal clear. Everything was bright and happy. Calm and peaceful. But before long, Kyoko's stomach made its protest loudly to them.

Kyoko blushed while Kuon chuckled but he quickly got up and dressed himself right there in front of her. She looked like a tomato in her embarrassment.

"Just stay there and don't move. I'll be right back with your meal, my princess." He bowed teasingly at her. If she could turn another shade she would have.

When Kyoko was left alone, she had time to remember what they had done early at dawn. She flushed again and felt hot just remembering it. She was so embarrassed she covered her face. She then moved her body slowly to check if she was okay. She found out she was a little sore, so she decided to go for a quick hot shower to get the kinks out of her body. Even though she was alone, she took the blanket with her when she went to the bathroom. When she finished and got out, she went to their luggage setting next to the cabinet. She opened it and dressed herself. She was tidying the bed when Kuon came back with their brunch since it was already eleven in the morning.

He 'Tsk'ed at her. "I told you to stay on the bed and not to move!" He scolded her. "I was suppose to serve you breakfast in bed."

Kyoko only smiled at him and placed herself under the covers on her side of the bed again as she leaned her back against the pillows. "Serve it to me then."

Kuon grumbled like a kid mumbling about it's not the same but he obliged her and served her food on the bed. He sat next to her and just observed her when she started eating. But even though Kyoko has just come out of her depression, she was not forgetful. She was back to her normal self. She took food with her chopsticks and placed in front of Kuon's mouth. One look at her stern gaze and Kuon opened his mouth to eat. When they were done eating, they were back to cuddling and Kuon spooning her on the bed.

"If you didn't just got better and still in need of more rest, I would have continued right now what we started earlier when you wake up." Kuon whispered to her. She blushed and lightly elbowed him on his side.

"Go take a shower!" She replied. "We'll go to our place after you're done."

"That's not a fun way to spend the continuation of your honeymoon, having cold showers." Kuon pouted.

"What's wrong with hot showers?" She retorted with a playful smile.

Kuon bit her ear. "If only you knew, babe..." He whispered huskily and Kyoko shivered.

"Go! I'll even show you my schools and favorite places like what you did in LA." She shooed her quickly out of bed before she lost her sound mind and give in.

The next few days were spent going out visiting the places Kyoko was familiar with. They visited her schools, shrines, temples, and Kyoto's tourist spots. They were again disguised as their real self, so no one knew the better that they were in the midst of the most famous actor and the rising star in Japan. They just look like a couple of tourists wandering around Kyoto. They also visited the Taisho and Okami-san of Fuwa Ryokan and thanked them again for everything.

Kyoko and Kuon's last night at their honeymoon room was spent on a sleepless night. Kuon had shown her how beautiful and desirable she was and how much he loved and cherished her. So there were no more room left for doubts and fear to creep in in her mind and heart of the fact that she was the only one he loved and was going to love from now on, forever and always.

They returned to Tokyo, resumed their jobs that were put on hold and started their married life again in paper, house, feelings and truth. The real married life. Kuon even joked that they might have made another life again during their honeymoon continuation since they didn't use protection again which was clearly his mistake. But Kyoko went to see the doctor for her final check up on her wounds, bruises and sprains. She was all clear of the three. She was as healthy as a horse. Kuon had asked her doctor if she could get pregnant again so soon after. Kyoko wanted to smack her husband. She was so embarrassed he had asked that. She felt like he was telling her doctor they were already doing perverted stuff again.

The doctor only chuckled and looked at her chart where all the results of her test where in. "I don't think so. Her hormone levels are still not back to normal... But anything is possible. So I won't say for sure." The doctor beamed at them. "But if you are ready to try again for a baby, then you can start anytime."

* * *

><p>While Kyoko and Kuon were in Kyoto in what turned out to be their honeymoon continuation, the press had noticed Fuwa Sho's absence in showbiz and were very suspicious of it. The headlines of those trashy magazines and newspaper were asking if Sho was busy taking care of Kyoko since he started canceling jobs when Kyoko's accident at Elan D'or award happened. They had speculated of what was the relationship of Sho and Kyoko. Their obvious conclusion was that they were secretly boyfriend and girlfriend. They dug up their history. The only thing they could find was that Kyoko had played the angel in Sho's PV. It boosted Kyoko's image even more when everyone found out she was the stunningly beautiful angel who turned Mio-like at the end. People were surprised because she had looked very different.<p>

So now, they had a problem because the media was linking her to Sho and they were making the bastard into an angel when he was clearly the devil in Kyoko's life. All of Kyoko's family and friends were enrage at the wrong conclusion the media had made that they did not want to let it just die down. They wanted to clarify it and make it clear to everyone that Fuwa Sho was far from being Kyoko's boyfriend. But they didn't want to let it blow out of proportion too and open a can of worms and let the media have at it.

So that was why right now, Kyoko was sitting on a set across the host of a morning talk show for her interview. She was very nervous. This was her very first one-on-one exclusive interview. It turned out to be a very straight forward interview. Azami, the host, congratulated her firstly for her award and was a bit horrified that the accident happened right after Kyoko's very memorable event of her life.

"So what happened that night, Kyoko-san?" Azami asked straight to the point.

"It was an accident. One of my childhood friend had come to talk to me and there were a lot of press people out in the lobby that's why I ended up in the stairwell. We needed privacy to talk. But then, I somehow lost balance and fell." Kyoko looked down with sadness around her.

"That's it? Nothing else happened?" Azami inquired because she was confused as to why she seemed sad and not pained like when someone recall a bad experience.

"I was rushed to the hospital after that." Kyoko answered lamely.

"A witness had said a blonde guy was by your side when you were taken inside the ambulance. Could that be the childhood friend that you were talking about?" Azami prodded.

"Yes, he is my childhood friend." It was true that Kuon was her childhood friend but they didn't have to know that he wasn't the childhood friend that came to talk to her at the stairwell.

"Could his name be Fuwa Sho by any chance?" Azami asked half-teasingly.

"No." Kyoko answered confidently. She knew they would ask that. The PR at LME told her they ask about him. "My friend is much taller and has green eyes. He is only quarter Japanese after all." She smiled happily when she talked about her friend.

"So, you are not in a relationship with Fuwa-san?"

"No, I don't have any relationship with Fuwa-san whatsoever. I just worked with him in his PV and he gave me flowers sometime later for doing a good job in it. That's all." She replied succinctly.

"What about Tsuruga Ren-san? We have heard that he also had some job cancellation and rescheduling these past week after your accident. Did he visit you at the hospital by any chance? Took care of you or something?" Now Azami was just fishing.

"I cannot comment about Tsuruga-san's schedule. I am only his lowly Kohai at the agency so I don't have the right to talk about his business." Kyoko replied politely.

Azami was startled by the young actress's polite words and tone. She felt that Kyoko was truly sincere with her comment and she truly believed that. Some other young actress would have jumped the gun on being linked with Tsuruga Ren but not this one. She was clearly being tight-lipped about it. She sighed inside when she noticed the time. It was time for the last question and to close it up.

"That's very humble and lucky of you to be Tsuruga Ren's Kohai. Now, for our last question. I noticed earlier that you seemed sad when you talked about that night and not disturbed or horrified. Can I ask if something even more sad happened that night other than your accident, Kyoko-san?"

Kyoko looked down on the ground again and wrung her hands in front of her before she looked up and answered the right, honest and straight to the point answer for the first time in that interview.

"Yes. I lost a part of my heart that night and I can never get it back." She replied sadly. Too sad that there was dead air, silence, for a moment before Azami congratulated her on her award and recovery. She thanked her for her time and they proceeded to the following segment of their show.

Kyoko walked out of the set feeling lighter than when she came on. She felt free.

No more worries.

No more Fuwa Sho.

At last...

* * *

><p><em>Well... That's that. Fuwa Sho eliminated! LOL But he should have suffered some more huh? Considering what he did. Hmmm... But it turned out like that. I'm just happy for Kyoko that she's over the hate, sadness and pain. I hope Kyoko and Kuon weren't that OOC. I don't know really where this is going. My mind is just taking me there when I began to write. Just like the saying of the book I just started reading "Writing is traveling, destination unknown." It really fits me when I write. I have no idea where I am going. <em>

_I hope you will still be with me on this journey the next time I update. Thank you very, very much for all of your support by reading, reviewing, following, fav-ing and for just liking this story of mine. Love you guys! Read yah next update... ^_^ God bless!_


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Skip Beat! Manga and anime or any of its plot, characters, etc…

_I am so SORRY, you guys! Especially to the **guest** who was really reviewing and reviewing to make me publish this new chapter faster. I wanted to reply to you that I was already working on it as fast as I really can on my little bit of free time. I couldn't though, coz you were only a guest in the site. No return address to reply to. Anyways, I know it's been so long! It's been more than two months. I have been trying really hard to get this done but life is really not that simple. I have been super busy. My work ends really late so I sleep at 1am or 2am. Wake up at 9am and work immediately. I am always tired, so I can't really work on this. And the most important reason of all is that I was blocked after that last chapter. I didn't know how to continue it. So without further ado, please enjoy reading it! ^_^_

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 31:

_But with you,_

_I feel again_

_Yeah, with you_

_I can feel again_

Ren and Kyoko resumed their filming on set for Ai Hime: Love and Secret. People on set, especially their co-workers, were worried about Kyoko and she assured them cheerfully as she could like how she normally was before. But Hiou and Kijima were really suspicious when Ren had cancelled on filming his scenes with them after Kyoko's accident. It was very suspicious especially when they know they were close. The comment of Director Ogata that Ren and Kyoko have chemistry off screen too was the first thing that came to mind to the two men.

Kuon couldn't care less though. He was living his dream. Kyoko and him were now a proper married couple. He was in seventh heaven and he was thoroughly enjoying it. He even wanted to tell it to the whole world that Kyoko loves him and she was his wife. He wanted to rub it in that bastard's face. Even though he still wanted to kill him, he knew he wouldn't do it. He had Kyoko and he wouldn't do anything that could jeopardize that situation. He was far too happy to spoil it. Plus, he was very lucky to star in Kyoko's debut. He was being paid to act like himself and kiss his wife in almost every scene they were in, wasn't that something? He wouldn't exchange it for anything… except for one… their baby.

However, Kyoko still blushes and gets really embarrassed on every kissing scene and that was the only reason everybody thinks they were not in a relationship. They think that if they were in a relationship, Kyoko wouldn't be embarrassed as much. She was also the same with her excessive apologies when someone suspected and actually tried to ask them if they were more than friends or colleagues. She would bow a lot and apologize for ruining the image of the famous Tsuruga Ren by being connected to a newbie and just debuting actress. It wasn't that Kyoko was reverting back to herself before but when at work, she was as professional as ever that sometimes Ren gets frustrated for teaching her such professionalism.

Their home life was wonderful, even more now that they have an intimate physical relationship and when Kuon comes home he really comes out of Ren's persona that Kyoko sometimes have trouble dealing with his foreigner attitude of such openness. The first week after their honeymoon continuation, Kyoko was surprised by how different the level of physical connection Kuon wanted with her. It seemed like he couldn't stay away from her. Kyoko, who was very independent, was having trouble getting used to it. They ate dinner together. He helped her wash dishes. He was even with her in the bathroom. He washed her back and got in the bath with her which was a first for her. She screamed and shout in embarrassment but Kuon would have none of it. When she said she was done taking a bath, he carried her out, dried her and himself with a towel and they skipped going to the closet and went straight to bed.

Kyoko even wondered at one point if he was the same guy she confessed her love to. Now he seemed like he was gonna eat her alive all the time! But that was empty doubt from the very moment it was formulated because her feelings for him wouldn't change and he was the only one who can her feel a lot of things. True, he can make her so angry at times but he can also make her so happy. He can make her crazy, frustrated, worried, silly, childish, embarrassed and most of all loved. To feel all those emotions, it kind of made her feel tickled at times to feel that much happiness and contentment.

He made her feel again… because she made him feel again first. It all worked together for them because everything had a reason why it happened to them, especially the most painful ones.

* * *

><p>So they started filming Hiou's scenes and Hiou was having the time of his life acting with Kyoko because the look on Ren's face could kill somebody. They had a few NGs because of that too. It was far too scary to be within Jin's character. But Hiou still continued to make him more jealous and acted more touchy feely and got closer to Kyoko who was playing Mao-chan than was necessary. Ren struggled to reign Kuon in. Although at times, Ren would have gladly let Kuon take over if it hadn't been for his extreme professionalism.<p>

"Hiou-kun, please don't tease Tsuruga-san too much. I beg you." Kyoko finally spoke out her concerns. It wasn't that he was afraid of Ren but he was afraid for Hiou.

"What? Are you afraid of him?" Hiou asked and smiled smugly. "Don't be…because I'm not!"

Kyoko could only sigh. When filming ended and Ren was still sending death glares at Hiou. Hiou had finally confronted Ren face to face. Man to man. Kyoko groaned inwardly.

"Tsuruga-san, no! Please..." Kyoko pleaded because she could see what will happen already.

"You can't touch me, Tsuruga-san. I know you and your gentleman acts." Hiou incited him.

With that sentence, Ren had finally let go of control and let the real kuon have full control. He smirked and snorted at the little kid in front of him. He had grown, that was for sure. But next to him, he still looked like a little kid. It should have made him feel like he was taking away a candy from a baby but with the way the squirt was acting and touching Kyoko earlier, he could have cared less.

"I think you are the one who can't touch me, Hiou-san, no matter what color of belt you have right now. Besides, you don't have the guts."

Kyoko wanted to punch Kuon for saying that. He just made it worst. Now, Hiou threw a kick aimed to his face. He easily took a step back to avoid it with the smirk still pasted on his face. Hiou threw another kick and a punch, another kick and then a combo. Still, not a single one of them landed and Kuon still have that smirk on his face. Hiou was really angry now. He was about to explode. He did his best move and Kuon had been waiting for it from the very beginning and did a counter.

"Enough!" Kyoko, who was the only one who could stop them, shouted. Kuon stopped his fist just inches from Hiou's forehead. "Tsuruga-san, seriously!" Kyoko scolded him.

"He started it." Kuon replied childishly as he flicked Hiou's forehead with his finger from the fist that was mere inches away from Hiou's forehead.

Everyone on set were dumbfounded for many reasons. First, by the tension and the glares. Then, they were surprise and intrigued by the confrontation. Worried, when the first kick was thrown. Impressed by the great Tsuruga Ren's martial arts abilities. Dumbfounded by the actress's ability to make him stop, even scold him and by his really childish reply that a five year old uses when got caught fighting.

* * *

><p><em>I can't get you out of the sunlight<em>

_I can't get you out of the rain_

_I can't get you back to that one time_

_'Cause you and me are still recovering_

While the lovebirds were very contented and started to be happy with their lives. The rest of their family still wasn't contented with the way how the person who caused all that grief to them just got away like that. So without the knowledge of the two, they had discreetly planned their revenge and slowly executed it.

Lory had one by one started severing all his connections with the idiot singer. Even though the company was not directly involved with his career but LME produced many shows and those shows do business with him. Now, Lory had ordered Sebastian to discreetly cancel all those scheduled show with him in it. It was done carefully that nobody involved would notice immediately, if at all.

Kuu and Julie were using their connections to discreetly blacklist Fuwa Shotarou from all the big names of all industry worldwide especially from big names in the music industry. They are famous worldwide and it was not only for show.

Yashiro was the one responsible for the singer's manager. He knew she wasn't directly responsible for the accident but he knew Sho wouldn't have known where Kyoko was if it wasn't for his manager. She was also responsible for at least stopping him doing a crime of kidnapping someone twice in a row. He would just imagine the loss of the two people he had been rooting for for a long time and his blood would boil and he wasn't thinking twice anymore of what he was doing.

It didn't happen right away. The results of their revenge was unfolding gradually that anybody who was not paying attention would not notice it right away. Time had passed and Kuon and Kyoko continued their work and their families could see the shadows of losing their first child was slowly fading away. Kuu and Julie one day showed up on set and surprised everyone who didn't know that they were going to be playing Mao's parents.

They all had fun filming those scenes. Kuu was seriously acting it out because he couldn't do all the fatherly things to Kyoko which he so wanted to do. He enjoyed being an overprotective daddy to his little girl and bullying his son who acted as his adopted brother on screen was a treat. Teasing Kuon when he was young was so much fun but teasing him on screen was much better because he couldn't do anything about it.

Kyoko was ecstatic to finally be acting against her father and her mother too with Kuon by her side. It was the whole family in one screen. One dream after another was coming true for Kyoko. If only that one tiny dream that was forming inside her was brought to reality too.

But you can't really change the past… only the future…

_Oh, this is not the way that it should end_

_It's the way it should begin_

_It's the way it should begin again..._

Kyoko sighed when she finally arrived home. It was still early, so she was the one who will be cooking. She came home with Ryuu, their driver because Ren still had other jobs. Namiko greeted her when she came in and helped her prepare for what she was cooking. As she was chopping the ingredients with Namiko, she was feeling a little sick in her stomach. She tried not to think about it and suppressed it. But when she chopped the onion, her stomach rolled and her gag reflex kicked in. She went to the sink which was the only closest thing to her before she vomit on the floor or the kitchen counter. As soon as she reached it, she heaved and threw up the contents of her stomach. Namiko was by her side instantly, holding up her hair and running the water on the sink. When Kyoko stopped throwing up, she washed her mouth and faced the old lady who was always kind to her.

"Thank you, Namiko-san." Kyoko thanked her and she forced a little smile to show to the old lady.

"Are you okay, Kyoko-chan? What made you throw up? Are you over worked? You should sit down. Come here." She gushed about Kyoko and dragged her to the stool on the breakfast bar. But Kyoko was still smelling the onion, so without thinking she went to the living room and sat on the couch instead.

Although, one little question had stuck in Kyoko's mind. She had been ask that before. _What made you throw up?_

Kyoko knew the answer perfectly. She let out a little gasp and covered her mouth with her hand. Then, the other one was slowly going to her stomach.

_It can't be… _

_Am I? _

_Really? _

Then the front door opened, Kuon waltzed in and called to her, "Honey, I'm home!"

* * *

><p><em>OOhhhh… ^.^ Tan, tan, tan! What is going to happen. What did Kyoko realized? I'll leave that to your imagination. Sorry, this chapter is so short and this story is not finished yet. There is still one last great appearance of you-know-who… LOL Voldemort is coming to Skip Beat! :D Anyways, love you so much guys for always sticking with me and this story up to now and I hope you will continue till the very end. Thank you so much for reading, your reviews, favs, follows and for just liking it. Thank you also for those people who are pushing me to write more faster. You are really making me write it faster. Your efforts works and are truly appreciated. Read yah guys next update! God bless you… ^_^<em>


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Skip Beat! Manga and Anime, or any of its plots, characters, etc… same goes for Television Drama Academy Awards…

_Hi guys… How's it going? I'm sorry I was taking so long. I know you want to get on with the reading. So enjoy! ^_^ Please excuse any typos and grammatical errors. Me only human. ^_^_

**Recap:**

Although, one little question had stuck in Kyoko's mind. She had been ask that before. _What made you throw up?_

Kyoko knew the answer perfectly. She let out a little gasp and covered her mouth with her hand. Then, the other one was slowly going to her stomach.

_It can't be… _

_Am I? _

_Really? _

Then the front door opened, Kuon waltzed in and called to her, "Honey, I'm home!"

**The Great Escape**

Chapter 32:

_I think I felt my heart skip a beat_

_I'm standing here and I can hardly breathe_

_you got me_

_You got me._

Kyoko jumped when she heard Kuon's voice. Kuon stopped short when he saw the two women's facial expression.

"What? What happened?" Kuon asked them as he started to worry. He immediately flew to his wife's side and cradled her on his lap gently like she was the most fragile and priceless thing in the world. "Are you okay, love? Do you feel sick or anything?"

Kyoko was surprised when Kuon suddenly transferred her from the couch to his lap. She was also still shocked from the realization she had earlier that she might be…

_NO! I can't be… I mean it's not that I don't want it but… really? Is it really okay?_ She started to really feel scared. Once was enough. Losing one baby was enough for her. If she lose another, she'll go crazy. What was she going to do if she really was? How was she going to feel? It was all surreal.

Kyoko unconsciously hugged Kuon as his concerned questions went on deaf ears. Kyoko was so engrossed in her thoughts to hear. Kuon was confused but hugged her back too. Comforting her. He looked at Namiko to know what was going on. Namiko just sighed awkwardly. She didn't really know how to explain what had happen. Kuon went back to caressing Kyoko in comfort. He knew really well that Kyoko can be really weird sometimes–okay, most of the time–so, he can understand their housekeeper.

Namiko silently excused herself and finished preparing and cooking the food that they had started making. So when the couple finally came out of their bubble, they can eat a proper meal.

That night Kuon hadn't gotten out from Kyoko what had happened. He tried so hard but she said it was just nothing. She told him she probably ate something earlier that made her stomach upset and made her throw up earlier. She said that the sudden nausea reminded her of when she was pregnant and it made her sad thinking about it again. But Kuon had known she was hiding something else and Kuon didn't wanna push her. She would tell him when she felt ready.

Kyoko was in total denial, so she didn't go to the doctor to find out, didn't tell anyone or took a pregnancy test at home. She was scared, worried and terrified. All the what-ifs questions went through her head.

Meanwhile, filming went as planned and they had filmed everything, except for the intimate scenes. There were two very intimate scenes there. The scene at the hotel room and Mao and Jin's first time together in their living room with the full moon as their witness. It wasn't really that sexy and detailed because it was a PG-13 movie. They were going to try for a PG-13 at the very least. That was the plan but it wasn't set in stone because the director knew that there were some risqué scene, especially that first time scene.

The day finally came that they were going to film those scenes. The set was staged like the inside of the hotel room of the hotel they had used for that movie as Jin's workplace. They copied as much as they could to make it look the same. Kyoko and Ren were transformed into Mao and Jin. Kyoko was wearing a really nice and sexy halter dress. She looked so mature. While Ren was wearing his usual work clothes.

Kyoko was nervous about this scene. It was a very embarrassing scene for her. Even though she was a married woman already and she and kuon had done 'it' a lot of times already but it wasn't the same because there were going to be cameras and people watching them. She turned really red just thinking that.

"Just don't think about the cameras and everyone around." Director Ogata tried to comfort Kyoko. He was also blushing pink when he saw Kyoko's face. He was feeling embarrassed and awkward too. "I tried to reduce the people in the set as much as possible. So, I hope we can do it in one take and the cameras wouldn't be that near you or in your face so you have room to move."

Kyoko could only nod. They were very nervous because this was the very first heavy love scene they were going to film, especially Kyoko since Kuon would undo her dress and expose her breast. But she wore nude top underneath to cover herself.

They began filming. Jin and Mao went inside the room. Mao blushed in nervousness and embarrassment. Jin started kissing her but due to Kyoko's nervousness, it unconsciously show through her acting. She was too stiff when Jinya started kissing her. The director called for an NG. Kyoko apologized and asked for another take. She let out a breath to calm herself. The director called action and they started acting and this time they did it perfectly.

They had a break for the director to review what they had filmed, for the crew to ready the set for the second scene and for them to change costumes, redo their make-up and hair. Everything went in a blur for Kyoko because her mind was very focused on the coming scene they were going to film. She was thinking that they were going to film a scene like that which was just supposed to be done in private and with only the two people involved. But now, they were going to act like they were doing it in front of a camera with people behind it watching their every move, every breath and every sound they make. Her face heated up just thinking about it.

Kyoko really liked Mao's character and at first she really thought she was pure and a good girl but she didn't expect this side of her. She blames it on Jinya. Why'd he have to be so sexy and good-looking for a pure and innocent girl to do something like that before marriage. And in a blink of an eye, the crews already left the new set leaving the necessary people behind to film them. The director called for her and her husband to take places already and Kyoko just sucked in a breath and braced herself for what to come.

Jinya was sitting by the door while Mao slept on the fluffy rug in their living room. She slowly woke up and saw him there sitting so good-looking and looking so cool. The light from the bright moon outside bathed him like silver glitter. It was enchanting. She went over to him and looked at the moon too. They laughed a little because she thought of food when she looked at the moon. But when she looked back at him, she wanted to hug him and she did.

"I love you." Mao told Jinya and she repeated it again.

"Yeah." Jin replied.

"I really love you." Mao repeated again because she felt like it wasn't enough.

"I know."

Mao kissed him when she felt words weren't enough to express her feelings. Jinya kissed her back and he didn't let her go again. He lead her back onto the floor and continued on kissing. Kyoko got caught up and totally forgot the script. Kuon was starting to kiss Kyoko's neck when the director loudly called for an NG.

The two actors woke up from their high and came back down to realize they were in the middle of filming. They both blushed and apologized to the director and everyone in there working hard with them. They started over again and this time they followed the script.

"I love you." Mao told him the fourth time as they kissed again.

"I told you, you'll be ready naturally." Jinya whispered back to her, to let her know what was happening to her.

"Yeah." Mao reflected thoughtfully agreeing with him.

"Come." Jinya kissed her again gently but passionately as he laid her on the fluffy carpet where she was taking a nap earlier. "Are you cold?"

"No." She whispered back as she felt his warm fingers caressing her neck gently which sent shivers and electricity down her spine.

"Are you scared?" He asked again as softly, gently and lovingly as before.

"Just a little bit…" She couldn't help but answer truthfully. He took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss it.

"It won't be scary." He assured her as he whispered it in her ear. He slowly lowered down to her neck and started kissing her there.

"Okay." She replied breathlessly and turned her head to the side to give him more access. He started unbuttoning her blouse and caressed her exposed body. Her fingers went to his buttons too and opened them. But she was much slower than him because she was nervous and was distracted by his caresses and kisses. They were finally both shirtless and Jinya hold both of her hand in his. One he held up over her head and the other on his heart as he continued to kiss her so tenderly but also hungrily.

The director yelled cut. It went well. They did it. Just two takes and just one take on the most daring part. Ren and Kyoko were both relieved. But also just a tad embarrassed and, dare they say, unsatisfied. But they would surely remedy that when they get home. For sure… as they shared a secret smile with each other.

* * *

><p><em>It's been a while, I'm not who I was before<em>

_You look surprised, Your words don't burn me anymore_

_Been meanin' to tell ya, But I guess it's clear to see_

_Don't be mad_

_It's just a brand new kinda me_

Two weeks after they finished their last scene. Ren and Kyoko had to attend the 84th Spring Television Drama Academy Awards. Box 'R' was nominated and Ren's surgeon drama was also nominated. So naturally, Ren asked his wife to be his date for the awards night. At first, Kyoko was very opposed to it. She still didn't want to let the public know or even be suspicious of their relationship. She was terrified of the media and his fans' reaction to the news or even just the speculation of them having a relationship or not. But Kuon reasoned that it wouldn't be that suspicious because the team of her debut movie had already made an announcement of the movie together with the cast. It also announced that in a month's time, they are gonna release a teaser of the said movie. The media already know that they were co-starring on a movie. On her debut movie. It wouldn't be that suspicious to go together to an event just to promote the movie. That was going to be their excuse when people ask them about it.

Now, Ren and Kyoko were inside a modest black limo driven, of course, by Sebastian. They stopped in the entrance where a red carpet awaited them when they opened the car door. Ren stepped out with his really long legs stretched out to touch the carpet. He stood up and flash bulbs went off one after another aimed at his face. He smiled wryly at their instant welcome of his arrival. He looked around his surroundings. Other actors, actresses, directors, screenwriters, musicians who were nominated were there together with their dates. The carpet wasn't that long. It was just a mere sixty or seventy meters from the car to the entrance of the building were the awarding was going to be held. He looked at the reporters, journalist, and photographers behind the line installed to keep them out. He smirked at how they were going to react him bringing their now nominated Natsu to the ball.

Ren turned his head to look back inside the limo, stepped to the side of the door and stretched his hand to the person still inside. All the people who noticed their appearance held their breath as they waited with their gaze glued to the opened door of the limo for the woman who could be accompanying the famous bachelor Tsuruga Ren.

They first saw her shoes and slender leg. It was a silver cute and elegant strappy high heel. When she stood up to her full height and stood beside Ren, everyone was surprised and stunned for a few seconds. Her image and face didn't click in their heads immediately. She wore a stunning yet simple dress. The lower part of her dress was a flowing and layering pastel silvery grey soft fabric which ends at her toes. The upper was a V-neck, sleeveless cut but the fabric design was the most stunning and eye catching. It was silver yet it was like made of diamonds sewn closely together. But it wasn't quite like that either. She wore silver bracelets that matched the upper silver like diamond design of her dress. Her black-painted nails clutched a small white clutch. And the other one, slipped into the crook of Ren's arm. She had light make up that emphasized her eyes. Her cheeks were lightly blushed and her lips were like the color of peach. When the people finally noticed her hair, that short, straight and orange hair, they finally got a hint as to who was their mystery lady.

Ren looked at Kyoko and smiled at her encouragingly as the flash bulbs of the stunned photographers started flashing in their faces again. They slowly and elegantly made their way to the middle of the red carpet to have their photos taken in front of the wall where the name of the event and the sponsors were printed. It seemed like almost every camera were following their every move. They posed for them. Kyoko called up a little bit of Natsu to get through that part of the evening. She wasn't particularly comfortable with it.

Then, it was time for interviews on the side near the entrance of the building. Ren guided her through the people who were still there having their pictures taken. The journalists shouted one question after another as soon as they arrived and now, they were asking them if they were dating or was the actress by her side really the actress who played Natsu in Box 'R', Kyoko, who was recently awarded as one of the Rookies of the Year and who was involved in an accident at Kieo Hotel. Kuon could only smirk and confirm that his date was indeed The Kyoko who was awarded Rookie of the Year.

"Are you two dating? Is that why you brought her as your date this evening?" One reporter asked them.

"Is it a serious relationship?" Another one asked.

"No, We're not dating." Ren politely answered. _Because we are already married, _Kuon added in his thought. "As you have already read and heard about it in LME's website and other sites and papers. Kyoko and I are co-starring in her movie debut, Ai Hime. Since the movie is already underway, it's a serious business." Ren answered humorously, which was a bit unusual because he was always so serious. "Please look forward to its release and please wish us luck in our nominations tonight. Thank you."

Ren smoothly dismissed the interview as briefly as he could even though the other reporters still had a lot of questions they wanted to ask. But since the most important ones were answered, Ren couldn't care less. He maneuvered Kyoko inside the safety of the building. But when they got inside, Ren discovered that it wasn't as safe as he imagined because he saw someone he wanted to murder right that minute.

Kuon's face turned dark instantly as he saw the idiot across the room. Kyoko instantly felt his sudden change of mood and looked up at him in confusion. She squeezed his arm but he still didn't look back at her, so she followed his gaze and saw the source of his mood change. Kyoko knew that every time she would see his face, she would be reminded of their lose that night. But as the doctor has said to her, it wasn't the fall that caused it. The signs were already there before the fall. So she can't really blame him for everything. Besides, she realized that if she were still to hold a grudge against him, she wouldn't be free of him at all for the rest of her life. She didn't want that. She didn't want to be tied to any of him any longer. She had to let go. She didn't want him to interfere in their lives any more.

Kyoko's hand that was in the crook of his arm moved to hold his hand and feel the warmth of his skin. The gesture worked when Ren looked down at her hand and at her eyes the next. His eyes were turbulent. He was fighting with himself. Her eyes softened in understanding. She smiled at him tenderly to assure him that everything was alright already. It wasn't necessary to hold on to those dark feelings anymore. Then she looked to her surroundings to tell him it wasn't the place to get emotional. Kuon got her message and was thankful for her help in controlling himself. He squeezed her hand back.

They proceeded to their seats and after a while the awards ceremony started. They first awarded the Best Drama which was Ren's Surgeon Drama. Best Actor was the leading actor of that surgeon drama. Best Actress was awarded to a veteran in acting. Best supporting actor was none other than the famous Tsuruga Ren for his performance in that said surgeon drama. Now best supporting actress was the very flirty and bully Natsu Kitagawa. She was well hated and well loved too for her performance. Hence, the nomination and winner of that category.

It was a surprise for Kyoko who didn't know about it. The president and her family also agreed that they keep it hidden from her. Now, it was taking its effect on her. She was blown away by surprise. She looked at Ren to really confirm what she heard with her ears. He was beaming at her with ecstatic eyes. He helped her get up and moved her by the shoulders so she will snap out of her daze and go to the stage to get her award. Her mind was blank and she just moved automatically to the stage. The person who announced and was handing her the award was smiling at her and congratulating her and now she was standing in front of a microphone with no words coming to mind. She stood there like a deer caught by the headlights. Her eyes caught Ren's and his heavenly smile seemed to jump start her brain. She finally started to smile, to show the happiness she was feeling.

"I–ahem–, uh, I really don't know what to say." She said lamely. "I have no idea I was nominated, actually. This is more than a surprise for me. It's beyond that. I'm shocked right now. I just can't believe it. I wasn't expecting to be receiving another award so soon. I hope I don't fall off a flight of stairs again." She laughed but it was actually mixed with fear that what she was saying might actually come true. "I am very, extremely grateful for this and for the people who voted me and thought so highly that it got me this. I'm forever grateful… especially for the people who gave me the chance to play this part and for the person who helped me figure out how to be Natsu. Thank you very much for your catwalk lessons, Sensei. I couldn't have done it without all of you."

She bowed gracefully like the bow Fuwa-Okami had taught her since she was little. She was always going to be like that from now on. It was a part of her and it wasn't Sho's mother's fault for teaching her the skills and manners that she had benefitted on since she left them. She was free. Nobody can shake her or control her anymore. She was her own person. No more revenge. No more having a grudge. She was just Hizuri Kyoko. Nobody else.

She went back to her seat, to where her husband was seated beside her, to where she really belonged. Then, the ceremony went on awarding someone the best screenwriter and after that, Best Theme Song which was clearly Sho's song. Then, the special award and the show ended with Sho's performance of his best theme song.

The night was very promising and was certainly a good night for Kyoko and Ren. When the ceremony ended, they went out and headed to the nearby hotel for the After-Ceremony Party. All the guests were there too. Ren found a quiet corner and Ren deposited Kyoko there and went to get their drinks. As soon as Ren got to the bar, Kyoko heard someone spoke behind her.

"What does your real husband think of you acting like a love sick puppy to your pretend husband Tsuruga?" A familiar voice startled Kyoko from behind.

Kyoko sighed… _I guess it was too good a night not to let it be spoiled by a brat._

"Well, good evening to you too, Shotarou." She put on a tight smile as she greeted him sarcastically. "and congratulations on your award."

* * *

><p><em>I am so sorry to leave it like that. If I didn't stop it there, it would be too long and the next chapter too short. I hope you enjoyed it. Till the next chapter. I think it will be the last. Or not… just giving you guys a heads up. Next up is the last of you-know-who AKA Bakatarou. You will also find out the answer to the cliffy of the previous chapter (33). Anyways, I don't know how these Television Drama Academy Award goes for real so I just let my imagination ran wild. Please bear in mind it's a work of fiction. See you guys around. Thank you very much for reading, liking, reviewing, following and fav-ing my stories. Love you guys! Read yah later… God bless… ^_^<em>


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